


Come On Down Sweet Virginia

by FFanon



Category: Sweet Virginia (2017)
Genre: Angst, Deceased Parents, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, Love, Road Trip, Romance, lots of fluff, loving relationship, not slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 13:13:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 36,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12705699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FFanon/pseuds/FFanon
Summary: You are Maggie's older sister, and her guardian since your parents tragically passed away when she was younger.  Sam, the rugged motel owner, and your sister's boss, has always been there for you two since he came into your lives.  The lingering feelings between you and Sam come to the surface.*possible minor spoiler in the notes at the beginning of the first chapter*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I saw Sweet Virginia at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2017 and fell in love with the character of Sam. I started this fic as a one shot, but as I wrote I just truly enjoyed writing Sam and the reader (who is more like an OC to me at this point). So the summary is pretty vague since I have so much of this fic written and so much happens and has yet to happen! I have a lot planned for this and am nowhere near finished. 
> 
> For those who read this after seeing the movie, Sam may appear OOC but I attribute that to his being fully happy and in a relationship, a side of him we don't get to see in the film really. Also, some things about Sam may not be included right away because as I wrote this, I was sharing it with a friend who had yet to see the movie and I didn't want to spoil anything for her :) 
> 
> I just hope you enjoy!

The familiar blue sedan pulls up outside and Sam finds himself making sure he’s standing up straight.  He watches through the glass of the office window as his high school age, part time employee exits the vehicle.  Also getting out was her guardian, her older sister by sixteen years, you. 

 

He takes a quick glance around and quickly tosses some crumpled napkins laying on the desk into the garbage as Maggie walks inside first. 

 

“Hey Sam!” 

 

“Mornin’ Mags,” and they exchange a hug, him pressing a kiss to the head of the girl who has become a surrogate daughter to him. 

 

She sets her backpack down and grabs a couple notebooks out of it before sitting on the stool behind the desk, starting her shift. 

 

The office door is pulled open and you step inside as you say goodbye to Rosie, the motel’s maid.  You’re dressed in your diner uniform and your hair is tied back. 

 

You see Sam and smile, “Hey Sam,” walking over you hug him. Aside from being your little sister’s boss the past few years, it’s a small town. Everyone knows each other. 

 

He wraps an arm around you, his hand coming around your back to your side where he rubs a couple of times before letting you go. 

 

“Hey,” he glances down as he says your name before giving you a smile. 

 

“Could I ask you to drive her home after her shift’s up these next few days?” You ask him and you hate having to ask for help, even his. He sees the way you nervously rub your hands and the way you chew lightly on your bottom lip as you ask. 

 

“They have me closing the diner for the next few nights,” you finish. 

 

He places a warm hand on your shoulder, “Hey, it’s no problem. I promise.” 

 

His eyes are sincere, and you let out a small sigh, “I can’t thank you enough. I’m sorry to put you out.” 

 

Not wanting to linger on your shoulder too long, he pulls his hand back slowly, “I told you, you ever need anything, I’ll be there. I mean it.” 

 

You grip his shoulder and take him by surprise when you innocently kiss his cheek, “Thank you.” 

 

A closed mouth smile with a short nod is how he replies. You have no idea how you just made his heart flutter. 

 

You say goodbye to them both then leave for the diner. 

 

“She okay with that? Closing up the diner, I mean?” He tries to ask casually. 

 

Maggie looks up from her schoolwork, “Um, well she’s a little nervous about it.  But she gets extra pay for it so,” she ends with a shrug. 

 

Sam nods slow before looking back out the window then starting a fresh pot of coffee. 

 

-

 

That night, Sam showed up at the diner for coffee, but you didn’t think much of it. He sat near the back, reading a newspaper he’d brought. He happened to have stayed until closing. 

 

The second night he again stayed until closing and you started to wonder.

 

The third night you just had to ask. 

 

Unexpectedly you slide into the booth, next to him. He shifts his leg and turns to look at you. 

 

“Are you here looking out for me?” you question him suspiciously. 

 

He holds your stare for a couple seconds before holding his cup of coffee up a bit, “Just came for coffee somewhere outside a motel for a change.” 

 

He can tell you don’t know whether to believe him or not, so he sips his coffee making sure to keep his eyes on yours. 

 

Playfully you side eye him as you squeeze his forearm quick before standing up. 

 

He smiles and watches you walk away. 

 

He stayed until closing again. And as the previous two nights, he casually walks with you to your car. 

 

When he opens your car door for you, his words stop you from getting in right away. 

 

“She mentioned you were nervous about closing,” he quietly confesses. 

 

And even though you shouldn’t be surprised at what he’s been doing, you are anyway. 

 

In wonderment you softly question him, “So you stuck around until 2am these past few nights...for me?” 

 

He looks at the ground briefly before sticking his hand in the pocket of his jeans and looking at you. 

 

“Just wanted you to be safe.” 

 

You take a step towards him and his eyes don’t leave yours as you slowly reach a hand up and place it on his cheek, the hair of his beard slightly tickling your palm. 

 

Neither of you say anything for a few seconds. You give his cheek a quick stroke of your thumb before you pull it back. 

 

“Same time tomorrow then?” 

 

The soft smile you give him makes him weak in his knees. He gives you a small grin.

 

“Yes ma’am.” 

 

And that next night, your last night of closing on your own, he again came as promised. 

 

This time when he held the car door open for you at the end of the night, you hugged him. 

 

“Thank you, really.”

 

His arms snake around your body and his hold cuddles you to his body.  Arms around his neck, you place a hand on the back of his head, your hand pressing against his hair.

 

Arms stay where they are, as you begin to slowly pull back from the hug. Your cheek brushes his and neither of you seem to truly want to step away, as is evident when his forehead meets yours. 

 

His hands have slid to grasp your waist and his nose is settled next to yours.  Both of you have the hint of parted lips as breathing becomes a little heavier at the close contact.

  

You take yourself by surprise when you move your mouth forward, pressing a light kiss to his top lip. 

 

At that you pull away, so you can search his eyes.  Silently he answers when his hand comes up, cupping your cheek, and he’s slowly leaning in. The thud of your heart _feels_ loud even after his lips reach yours, and he’s kissing you slow.

 

It lasts a few seconds before a car’s engine revs as it speeds down the road and you pull away quicker than you mean to. You cast your eyes to his shoulder while he presses his mouth to your head, hand still on your cheek.

 

Your hands briefly touch his hips, “I should probably get home.” 

 

“Yeah,” he murmurs against your hair before you both let each other go and share a look.

 

When you get inside your car, you give him a quick wave before you’re pulling out of the space and heading home.


	2. Chapter 2

It’s been two days since the kiss and since seeing Sam. It just happened to work out that way. But today Maggie is working so you know you’ll be seeing him. 

 

You follow Maggie into the office, expecting to see him. It was already probably awkward, so you wanted to act as normal as possible. But he wasn’t in there. 

 

After saying goodbye to your sister, you exit the office and see him on the other side of the parking lot. He was on one knee, trucker hat on, fixing a bench. 

 

Taking a deep breath and gripping the strap of your purse, you take the short walk towards him. 

 

His back is facing you and he doesn’t hear you coming.  

 

“Hey Sam.” 

 

He looks over his shoulder and immediately stands up. You notice how he leans on the bench due to his bad leg. He takes his hat off and holds it in his hands in front of his belt buckle. 

 

“Mornin’.” 

 

He catches himself fiddling with his hat and he consciously tries to stop. 

 

“Uh, I’m not sure if Maggie told you yet, but she has a basketball game tomorrow.  I know she loves when you come to them...we both do.”

 

Coward, you think. Instead of being an adult and just addressing the kiss head on, you invite him to your sister’s game. 

 

He looks down with a shy smile before looking at you again. 

 

“She, uh, she did tell me. I’ll be there,” and the way you have a slight blush to your cheeks makes him want to reach out and touch your cheek again like he did that night.

 

“You two want a ride?” 

 

You agree with a smile, “Yeah, that’d be great.” 

 

The next night, he drives with all three of you in the cab of the truck. Maggie spoke a lot and sat in the middle.  You exchanged a couple quick glances with him during the ride. 

 

During the game, things reached a more normal feeling again.  Sam cared a lot about Maggie. The way he’d clap for her and cheer her on meant the world to you.  As the score got close towards the end, you found yourselves grabbing at each other every now and then as plays got tense.  

 

Everyone in the crowd was on their feet during the last minutes, the score was tied. 

 

When Maggie’s teammate missed the shot, causing her team to lose, the crowd was audible in their disappointment. He gently grabbed the back of your neck and massaged briefly.  He knew you worried about her.  “She’ll be fine,” he reassured you before letting go.  Then he clapped again, still proud of her. 

 

With the back panel lowered, you and Sam sat on the back of his pickup in the parking lot, waiting for Maggie. 

 

It didn’t feel awkward anymore. The silence was comfortable. 

 

He looks at you and sees you gently chewing on your bottom lip as you eye the doors of the school that Maggie will eventually exit through. 

 

“You’ve done a great job with her,” he offers. 

 

And you feel like a weight has been lifted at his words.  No one has shared that sentiment with you. 

 

“I hope so.” 

 

“She do anything to make you think different?” And the way he asks, you know he’s trying to make a point. 

 

You turn your head to look at him, him already looking at you. 

 

“...no.” 

 

“You’re too hard on yourself. Not many people would’ve dropped out of college to take care of their baby sister after losing their parents. You gotta give yourself credit for that.” 

 

Tears start to slowly fall. You aren’t sobbing, but you’re still emotional at the topic and at having someone recognize what you’ve truly been through. 

 

“I couldn’t let them make her move across the country to live with our aunt. She needed to stay here,” it comes out quieter than you meant it to, “But I still question if I did the right thing for her.  She has her friends, we have our house, but look at me, Sam. I work long hours and still barely get the bills paid, what kind of example is that?” 

 

As you talk, he uses the back of his finger to gently wipe some tears from your cheeks, or a swipe of his thumb, and you let him. He doesn’t stop listening though, he doesn’t do anything but be there for you. 

 

“A great one,” is his response. 

 

And you give a quiet breath of a laugh, a laugh of disbelief at his thought. 

 

“She tell you how I nag her about her homework and getting to school on time?” he asks.

 

She has. Maggie tells you how much he looks out for her and she always tells you with a smile. It’s something you both appreciate. 

 

A nod is your response. 

 

“Yeah, well, I don’t do it because she’s slacking.  I do it ‘cause she won’t stop working.  Always wants to finish ‘one last thing’ or get a jump on tomorrow’s work,” he gives you a soft grin, “She was young when they passed, so who else you think she got that work ethic from?” 

 

A small smile he gets out of you and you wipe at a few more tears. He wraps an arm around your shoulders and hugs you into his side. The hand by your shoulder finds the side of your head tenderly and pulls you close as he presses a kiss to your forehead. 

 

“She’s a great kid. And if she turns out anything like you, she’s gonna be just fine.” 

 

Your hand finds his thigh and squeezes gently in gratitude. 

 

And just like that, you’re pulled back to that same feeling before he kissed you that night in front of the diner.  But before anything can happen the school doors swing open and Maggie’s basketball team comes out, their numerous conversations filling the quiet night. 

 

Sam rubs your shoulder before letting go and your hand vacates his thigh.  Maggie walks over soon after, clearly unhappy with the loss. 

 

You scoot over, opening a spot between you and Sam, and Sam pats the open space. Maggie hops up and he starts talking to her. Asking her what she learned from the loss and calling her out when her answers are clearly anger driven. 

 

You don’t chime in, instead just watching and listening to the exchange. Sam’s the father figure she needs and he’s clearly happy to fulfill the role.  Any tears you had are long gone as happiness overcomes your every emotion at the sight of them.  You wonder how you got so lucky to have him in your lives. 

 

Maggie still sulks slightly on the way home and Sam says a few things to make her see the bright side of losing.  When he pulls into the driveway of your house, you all get out and Sam walks you both to the door.  

 

Maggie hugs him goodbye and thanks him before heading inside. 

 

“What you said before, about your bills...you ever need money…” and you shake your head because you know what he’ll say. 

 

“I couldn’t do that. We manage, barely, but we do.” 

 

“For my own sake then, just promise me that you’ll ask before you’re ever in trouble.” 

 

With an amused smirk, “I promise.” 

 

He nods matching your expression, “Alright then.” 

 

“And thank you...for earlier in the parking lot. It meant more than you know.” 

 

He gives a brief shake of his head, “Nothing to thank me for. Just give yourself a break once in a while, you’ve done a hell of a lot for her.” 

 

You wrap your arms around his torso and he returns the hug, rubbing your back in small circles.  He presses his mouth to your hair. 

 

“Good night,” you step back and lightly touch his chest. 

 

“‘Night,” and he watches as you walk inside. 


	3. Chapter 3

The next time you see Sam, he’s helping you once again. 

 

The rain is pouring down in droves. Sam’s got the windshield wipers going full speed, which for an old truck like his isn’t fast enough. 

 

The wind is brutal; he’s already watched a couple trees go down in the woods on either side of the road.  A gust of wind manages to shift his truck a bit and it happens to be in that moment that he sees four way flashers blinking up ahead, on the side of the road. But with the road being just one lane in each direction, the car sticks out a bit.  

 

He slows the truck down even more and can make out the plate number as he gets closer. He pulls up behind it and gets out where the rain soaks his clothes instantly. 

 

“What are you doing!” He shouts as to be heard through the rain and the wind. 

 

You look up from where you’re kneeling down on the muddy ground. For the past several minutes you had tried to jack the car up, but the rain did not help in getting a grip on the metal.  As you were driving to work, the tire blew. No job, means no income.  If you had to change a tire in a rainstorm then so be it. 

 

“Tire blew!”  You couldn’t believe of all people to run into at this moment, it was him. But you’d be lying if seeing him didn’t make your heart jump.

 

He marches, as best he can, over to you and grabs your arm pulling you up.  Before you can say a word, you hear a loud crack. Instinctively, you bury into his chest where he immediately pulls you, and he’s holding you tight as he turns to block your body with his own from whatever it might be. 

 

A glance over his shoulder and it’s another tree going down in the woods. 

 

“Get in the truck!” He commands as he whisks you over to the passenger side. 

 

“But my car!” 

 

“Later, just get in!” He yanks the door open and pulls you toward it. As you hop in, he’s crossing in front of the truck and gets back in the driver’s side.  

 

It’s not until he has you inside that he can see how bad you’re shaking. His hand goes to the console and cranks the heat up, pushing the vents to point at you. 

 

The truck pulls out and about two miles down the road, another cracking sound emits from the woods. 

 

Wordlessly, Sam hooks an arm around you and pulls you against him, holding your head to his chest; his body twisting slightly to somehow shield you with his arm as best he can. He keeps his eyes on the road, but cringes a bit. Expecting a tree to topple onto the roof, he’s more surprised when the tree falls in front of him. 

 

“Sam!” you shout in a panic, having turned your head in his embrace.

 

He skids to a stop, inches from the trunk of it. A second to take a breath then he’s driving around the fallen tree. 

 

It’s not long before he’s pulling into the lot of his motel and parking in front of his room. 

 

You both run out and under the overhang; Sam unlocks the door and ushers you inside. 

Immediately you pick up the phone and relief floods through you as you hear a dial tone.  Maggie picks up on the first ring, emotional about your safety. She thought she might have lost her only family left to another car accident.  You then place a quick call to work explaining your absence.

 

After you hang up, you turn to find Sam handing you a small folded pile of clothes. 

 

Gratefully you take them and head into the bathroom. Everything you have is soaked, including your underwear.  You decide to forgo them too, hanging everything up on the shower rod to dry.  A pair of his socks are bunched at your ankles; his sweatpants are folded several times at your waist, and his flannel shirt hangs about 4 inches past your fingertips.  You run a towel over your hair before walking back out.

 

When you walk out, he’s also now in a dry set of clothes.  One look at you and you see a tiny glimmer of a smirk on his lips.  Sam walks over, “Here.” 

 

He proceeds to roll the sleeves of his shirt up, folding the fabric at your wrists. 

 

“We’ll get your car when it stops. I’ll take care of your tire,” he mentions as he walks to tidy up the sheets a bit, “Don’t know how long this storm is supposed to last, but you’re taking the bed if needed.” 

 

“I can’t do that.” 

 

“Well I’m not having you sleep on the floor.” 

 

“And I’m not having you either,” he looks at you as you continue, “So we’ll just share it.” 

 

“Fine,” and he takes a seat on the edge. His leg aches a bit more when it rains. 

 

You sit next to him, “Thank you by the way. Seems I’ve been thanking you a lot lately. About time I repay you, so after all this is over you’re coming over for dinner tomorrow.” 

 

He gives a quiet chuckle, “Yeah, okay. Home cooked meal does sounds good.” 

 

And you share a smile with him before his eyes cast down to the carpet. 

 

Drops of rain still drip from his adorable wet hair and his beard. He runs a hand down his beard to wipe them away and you run a hand through his hair to wipe away the ones there. 

 

At the intimacy of your action, he turns his head to look at you and you move your hand to the back of his head so you can see his face.  Slowly you withdraw your hand, placing it in your lap. 

 

“Sam,” you glance at your hands before looking at him again, “About that night at the diner…” 

 

“We don’t gotta talk about it if you don’t want to.” 

 

He looks down where your hand tenderly grips his forearm, then his brown eyes find your gaze. 

 

“I don’t regret kissing you. I’m not even sorry about it.” It feels better than you thought to finally say it out loud.

 

Then you take a small breath, “But I figured _you_ did.” 

 

His brows knit together and it happens so quick. He turns his torso towards you, his hand finding your cheek.  As he leans in, you feel your cheeks heat up and your heart flutter.  He’s kissing you softly and you grip the soft fabric of his shirt to anchor yourself somehow. 

 

You’re breathless when he pulls away, his thumb stroking the corner of your lips. The warmth of his breath is felt on your lips as he doesn’t move very far from you, his eyes looking into yours. 

 

“I haven’t stopped thinking about it…” he confesses in a hushed tone. You don’t break your stare from his, but you slide a hand up the side of his neck to rest on his jaw.  He closes his eyes at your touch for a brief second, before looking at you again.  His lips skim your cheekbone, before the tip of his nose is _just_ touching yours, “…So no, I definitely do not regret it.” 

 

Lips finding his again, you kiss him. He manages to turn with an arm around you and moves you both up the bed more, his body hovering over yours as he lays you down.  An arm around his shoulders, he slowly lowers his muscled frame on top of you, supporting his weight on a slightly bent knee and a forearm.  

 

And the whole thing is just sweet. And just so Sam, you think.

 

His kisses are slow and attentive. He doesn’t push his hips against yours or reach anywhere in desperation. He simply pushes up the shirt of his you have on and rubs a couple inches of skin by your hip.  His focus is just on kissing you so good that you don’t need any of those desperate touches. 

 

He loves the feel of your hand playing with his hair and your hand roaming along the hills and valleys of his toned back. 

 

Sam leans on his forearm as he rests his palm against the crown of your head, his thumb tenderly stroking your hairline as his lips move with yours. 

 

With such care he moves his kisses to your jaw, never quickly. Always giving you a chance to say it’s too much. 

 

But you don’t. 

 

His hand on your hip moves, instead slowly pulling aside the collar and fabric of his flannel shirt covering your chest so he can add kisses to your neck and collarbone. 

 

The feeling is lovelier than you could have imagined. You close your eyes as his lips, mixed with the tickling of his beard, move across your warm skin. 

 

He goes as far as a kiss near the top of your breast before you feel him move back up to your face. Opening your eyes, you blush under his gaze. Lifting your head, you kiss him again, the kiss pulling him down with you as you bring your head back to the pillow. 

 

When he pulls back, you run your hands into his beard on either side of his face. 

 

“I want this to be something,” you quietly admit. 

 

He runs a thumb across your cheekbone before pressing a kiss there, “So do I.” 

 

“The only thing is Maggie. She loves you too much for this to take any chance of going bad,” you wait a beat before adding, “And I don’t want to lose you either somehow. I don’t know if I can risk that.” 

 

A crease between his brows shows up as he hears you, but you lightly run a fingertip over it and his face softens again. 

 

“You’ll never lose me, no matter what happens,” he brushes his lips over your eyebrow then over the tip of your nose, “You and Maggie mean too much to me for me to go anywhere.”

 

Pulling his face down, you kiss him good. He only pulls away from you to say something else. 

 

“But I’m not planning on letting this go bad. I’ll do whatever it takes to stop that from happening, I promise you that.”

 

You run your hand through his slightly damp, curly hair then you gently push his shoulder so he rolls onto his back, you now leaning over him. 

 

He sees the way you look at him lovingly and closes his eyes briefly when you comb your fingers through the hair at the side of his head. 

 

“I promise too,” he hears you softly say with that warm smile of yours. 

 

His large hand slides under your damp hair to gently pull you down by your neck. You kiss briefly before you press a trail of kisses along his cheek and jaw as you hug yourself to his body, your face resting against his jawline. 

 

He rubs your back and kisses between your eyes. 

 

Settling into him, he gently takes your hand and holds it up as he laces his fingers with yours. Then he’s kissing your knuckles before resting your joined hands on his chest. 

 

For the first time in a long time, you fall asleep feeling safer than ever. 

 

And completely happy. 


	4. Chapter 4

You shifted during the night. Sam stayed asleep on his back but you managed to move from his chest, to his side. 

 

With his arm bordering you, your back is snuggled against his side. His bicep proved to be a comfortable place to rest your head.  Sam is motionless behind you when you wake up. The clock on the bedside table catches your eye and you see that you two need to go soon if you’re going to get your car, then get you home before your diner shift in a few hours. 

 

From the lack of noise, it’s obvious the rain stopped sometime overnight. 

 

The hand of his arm that borders you, is lightly gripping your shin, as you were in a relaxed fetal position.  Reaching down, you slowly pick his hand up and just hold it in yours, inspecting it almost. You lightly run a fingertip across each knuckle and along the back of it. There’s a few tiny scars on the back and some callouses on his palm that prove that this is a true working man’s hand. And there’s something about that you just love. 

 

His side moves and you feel as he rolls onto it so he’s spooning you.  A couple kisses to the back of your head and a kiss to your shirt covered shoulder then he’s moving his hand you’re holding to lace with yours. With his other arm, he pulls you flush against him.

 

Instantly, you smile at his kisses and touches. 

 

“Hey,” is all he says, but you hear the smile in his tone. 

 

Turning your head towards the bed, you kiss his bicep then run your hand down his forearm that’s holding you.  You let his hand go to shift in his arms so that you’re facing him, “Good Morning.”

 

He brushes some hair behind your ear then glides his hand down your jaw until he has your chin between his thumb and index finger. As you lean forward, so does he, your lips meeting.  

 

“What time you need to be at work?” He asks after you pull away. 

 

“Two hours.” 

 

A small nod and he kisses you again, “Alright. Better get to your car, who knows how worse the roads got,” and despite him making it sound like he was getting up right then, he proceeds to kiss you some more. 

 

For those next couple of minutes, it truly feels like you’re the only two who exist in the world. 

 

Ever watching over you, he’s the first to pull away.  

 

“Ready?” 

 

You nod and as he stands up, he puts his hand out to you which you happily take. With ease, he pulls you up and you stand up next to him.  He smirks at the shy smile you throw his way before you head into the bathroom. 

 

Your clothes and underwear are dry so you change back into them, all except your shirt. Sam’s shirt is longer on you so you just tuck the front into your jeans.  You walk out holding your own shirt which catches his eye, “Still wet?”

 

“No, I just...would it be okay if I kept yours on? It’s warmer and...I just like it better right now,” you give a small shrug as you walk over to him. 

 

“You could keep it if you want,” and his grin is so cute, “looks better on you anyway.” 

 

Flushed cheeks spark you to playfully swat at him, but he catches your hand and pulls you closer.  

 

“You still want this?” his voice is lower now and it’s no longer the shirt that’s the topic. 

 

“Yeah, Sam. I do,” and you bashfully look at his chest, hand running down it a short distance, his shirt so soft from wear. Looking at him again, “Do you?” 

 

“Yeah,” his lips curving up into a shy smirk. 

 

A quick kiss is shared between you two, your smiles meeting as the elation hits you both again.  When you take a tiny step back, you comb your fingers through his hair, your eyes never breaking from each other. 

 

He presses a kiss to your forehead then you both head outside and into his truck.  The whole ride to your car, he keeps a tender grip on your inner thigh. With your arm snaked around his, you lightly drag your fingernails up and down his forearm.  In your peripheral, you see him glance at you occasionally so you know he must see you when you do it to him, too. 

 

At one of the red lights, he hears you sweetly say his name. Turning to look at you, he smiles when your hand reaches out to his cheek and you lean in, kissing him.  You make it fast, then follow it up with a couple quick ones with you both grinning in between. He sneaks one to your cheek just as the light changes green. 

 

It’s only another five minutes before he’s pulling up behind your car that was thankfully unscathed in the storm.  Both of you get out and he hands you his keys. 

 

“Take the truck,” and he sees you about to protest so he quickly adds, “You need to get home, then get to work. So, take the truck. I’ll take care of the tire here and we can switch back later.” 

 

You so badly want to protest, but you realize how stupid that is. This man has been nothing but selfless towards you and you’ve fought him almost every time. 

 

He sees you let go of the breath you had taken when you went to say something. 

 

“Should I just get ‘thank you’ tattooed on my forehead at this point?” you joke as those seem to be the constant two words you say to him most. 

 

And he laughs. And you realize you can’t remember the last time you’ve heard him do that. His eyes crease at the corners the same as when he smiles and the sound of the laugh itself is so uplifting. 

 

Smiling, you gently grasp his bearded chin, “Dinner at 7 tonight. We can switch back then.” 

 

“Sounds good,” he grins and he lets you pull him in for a kiss.  

 

\--

 

Sam knocks on the door a few minutes before 7.  In his hand is a bouquet of wildflowers.  

 

When you open the door to him, you see the flowers first then you look at him with a soft look. 

 

“Hi. I saw these and I, uh, I thought you might like ‘em.” 

 

He’s a little nervous, you can tell. It’s not the first time you’ve had him over for dinner, but it’s the first time you’ve made out with him, then had him over for dinner. 

 

Maybe it’s because you’re in your own home, but you aren’t as nervous as you thought you’d be, so you don’t want him to be either. 

 

Taking the flowers from his offering hand, you smile as you grasp the collar of his button up shirt and tug him to you, capturing his lips in a deep kiss. 

 

“I love them.” 

 

His body relaxes when you kiss him and when you comment on the flowers, he sweetly smooths a hand over your hair with a loving grin on his face.

 

You take his hand and lead him inside, letting him go only to grab a vase and put the flowers in it. 

 

“Are we telling Maggie?” he asks quietly as he stands close. 

 

“I’m not sure to be honest,” when you face him he rubs your hip, “Play it by ear?”

 

He nods in agreement. 

 

You’ve had Sam over in the past as a way to repay him for driving Maggie or fixing something, so you know he likes your roast chicken and apple pie, and that's why you cooked it again tonight. 

 

The three of you eat dinner and you find yourself getting emotional.  It feels like a real family, like how it was when your parents were still alive. 

 

Maggie’s eyes light up when Sam talks basketball with her, and they playfully rag on each other about the college teams they each like.  He manages to sneak a squeeze of your thigh now and then, and you manage to hold his hand for a minute or two under the table without her noticing.  

 

You get to hear more of Sam’s laugh when you and Maggie share some of your childhood stories of the trouble you’ve both gotten into. 

 

After dessert, Maggie runs upstairs to finish her homework while you and Sam head outside to the back deck. 

 

He leans his elbows on the railing as you run your hand back and forth across his lower back, your chin resting on his shoulder. His temple gets a kiss before he stands up and wraps an arm around you, pulling you into his side. 

 

“Thank you for dinner.” 

 

“He finally has a reason to thank me,” you tease with a smile as he runs a hand through your hair. 

 

He smirks as he kisses you and you cup his jaw, smoothing your thumb over his beard.

 

“No way!” 

 

At the sound of Maggie’s voice, you both abruptly pull away. Sam hangs his head for a second as you lightly touch your lips before you both turn to face her.

 

“Mags…” you start, unsure of her reaction.

 

“Tell me this just happened! That I haven’t missed this happening!” And her huge smile tells you everything.  She had come downstairs and opened the back door without you two realizing it. 

 

Sam snakes an arm around your waist from behind and kisses the back of your head, an amused smirk on his face that you can’t see. 

 

“Just happened yesterday,” you laugh softly at her excitement. You place a hand over his on your waist. 

 

“Oh my god, Rosie is going to freak!” She says still smiling.

 

“Rosie?” Sam’s curious.

 

“Yeah, you two have been so obvious in liking each other, she called this happening awhile ago!”

 

Blushing, you share a look with Sam before you both smirk and shake your heads in slight embarrassment. 

 

“Is that why Sam came over tonight?” Maggie teases, “Oh my god, was this your first date?”

 

Sam chuckles behind you before he leans back against the railing and wraps his other arm around you.  He pulls you back a bit to be up against him as his arms rest low on your hips, one hand still lightly entwined with yours.

 

“This was a thank you for helping me constantly,” you say in a teasing reprimand, “Don’t you have homework to finish?”

 

A smile still on her face, “Nope, it’s all done. I just came down to ask if I can go to Laura’s house.” 

 

“Yeah, just be home by 10, okay?”

 

“I will,” and she looks at you two before taking a step away. But she turns back and pokes her head back out, “Seriously though, this is just really great you guys,” and she looks at Sam, “Good night Sam, see you at work.” 

 

“Night Mags,” he gives a small wave then she leaves you two alone. 

 

You turn in his arms, “Looks like we’ve gotten the official go ahead,” he jokes.

 

“Lucky us,” you slowly wrap your arms around his neck. 

 

And you know you’re blushing when he starts leaning in. His lips just touch yours when he whispers, “Lucky me,” before kissing you softly.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> very light smut at the end

The first time you and Sam step out to your small town as a couple is at the wedding reception of Mitchell and Lila. 

 

The reception is at the local VFW hall and just about the whole town is invited.  Sam picks you and Maggie up at the house. 

 

Ever the gentleman, he greets you both at the door.  Maggie is ahead of you wearing a simple red sundress, hair braided down her back. 

 

Maggie hugs Sam, “Never thought I’d see you in a tie, Sam.”  

 

He’s wearing a denim button down shirt with a navy tie.  To any outside folks, he’d probably be scoffed at, but here in this town, that’s as fancy as you get.  

 

“And you never will again after today. Hate these things.” 

 

“I think you look handsome in it,” you comment and Sam looks over at you as you come to the doorway.  Your hair is slightly curled and you have on a blush colored dress whose flowy skirt stops above the knee.  And with the heels you have on, you’re almost his height. 

 

He doesn’t realize he hasn’t spoken, lost in looking at you, until your giggle hits his ears and he feels your hand on his chest.

 

“Sam?” 

 

His soft eyes land on yours and his soft voice makes your chest ache, “You look beautiful.” 

 

The way your flushed skin matches the dress almost makes him smirk.  You run your hand loosely down his tie as you kiss him. Only pulling back far enough to separate from his lips, “Thank you. I like your tie,” you give a knowing smile due to his words with Maggie. 

 

He places his hand on the back of your head, quickly mutters “Yeah, it’s not so bad” before pulling you back in for another kiss. 

 

You take his hand and lead him towards his truck where Maggie is waiting. 

 

-

 

The three of you walk into the building, Sam’s hand laced with yours.  As expected, several townspeople spot the small sign of affection inquiring if it means what they think it does. And with every one, once you both confirm their thought, they are thrilled about it. 

 

Luckily, you and Sam are seated at the same table despite both being single at the time you RSVP’d; Sam’s connection to Maggie most likely. 

 

After mingling for a bit, everyone heads to the tables. Sam pulls your chair out for you, getting you settled before taking his own seat next to you.  

 

The newlyweds get introduced, speeches are given, and the food is served.  Through all of it, you both keep a hand on the other at some point.  You lean against him during the speeches and he kisses the exposed skin near your shoulder. You give his thigh or knee a squeeze and he’s mindlessly playing with the ends of your hair as he rests his arm on the back of your chair. 

 

After the newlyweds have their first dance, the floor is opened to everyone else.  The music is upbeat and Maggie instantly grabs your hand, “Oh my god! Let’s go!” You laugh and glance at Sam before letting her drag you to the dance floor.  He chuckles as the two of you twirl each other and sing out loud.  The way your smile makes his heart want to burst tells him how deep he is in this. 

 

“Sammy, how’d you get so lucky and snag _her_?” It was Jimmy from across the table. He’s an old timer who was friends with your father way back when. 

 

Sam takes a swig of his beer and smirks, “I ask myself that every day.” 

 

That gets an approving chuckle from him. 

 

“Atta boy. Spoken like a true gentleman. Her father would have approved of you, boy. Believe me. You’re one of the good ones.” 

 

Sam’s incredibly humbled by the sentiment. He gives Jimmy a polite nod, “Thank you, sir.” 

 

You come back to the table laughing and sit down facing him, with your hand on his arm, “Come dance with us.” 

 

He shakes his head, smooths his hand under your skirt to caress your knee, “No, no. You two seem to be doing alright.” 

 

“Please?” 

 

“You don’t want a guy with a bum leg holding you down,” he gives a nervous smile. 

 

You grasp his face gently and kiss him, “I don’t think of it like that. I just want to dance with you.” 

 

“Rain check?” he offers despite him feeling like the biggest jerk right now, brushing some hair from your face sweetly and letting his thumb smooth down your cheek. 

 

“Sure,” you don’t want to push him. You give him a small smile before you kiss him again.  And a sip of your drink before you’re heading back out to Maggie. 

 

He feels the sympathetic look of Jimmy but doesn’t glance his way. Everyone knows Sam’s past, and Jimmy being a World War 2 veteran, he knows men with worse injuries who limit themselves too. 

 

“You mind if I take your place? Dancing with a couple of cute girls really lifts a man’s spirits,” Jimmy offers to lighten the mood. 

 

Sam gives a polite grin, “By all means.” 

 

Jimmy stands up and shuffles his way over to you two. Knowing him your whole lives, you welcome him in and though you have to slow your dance moves a bit, you both still have a great time. And by Jimmy’s laughs and smiles, so does he. 

 

The music stops for cake to be served and then the DJ plays some slow songs.  Maggie has since left your table to hang with a few friends of hers who are also guests.  You lean back into Sam’s chest, his arm around your shoulders, as you watch the couples who are dancing. 

 

He kisses your head and looks at the couples too. 

 

“Still wanna dance?” he whispers in your ear before kissing it. 

 

Turning to face him, “I don’t want you to just for me. If you’re in pain or anything…” 

 

Rubbing your back, “I wanna dance with my girl and that kind of dancing I can manage.” 

 

He stands up and puts his hand out to you. A big smile on your face proves how worth it this is. You take his hand and let him lead you to the dance floor. 

 

He takes your hand as he wraps his arm around your lower back, hand resting by your hip. You put your arm on his shoulder and slowly run your fingers repeatedly through his hair at the back of his head. 

 

“I like being out with you like this,” he shares as he kisses your forehead. 

 

You lean your nose against his before kissing him. 

 

“Yeah? Enough to call me ‘your girl’,” you give him a cute grin as you recall his words asking you to dance.

 

A shy smirk appears on his face, but his eyes never leave yours. 

 

“I’d like to think you are,” and you both enjoy this teasing conversation. 

 

“Oh, I am,” you let his hand go to wrap your arm around his neck like your other. He wraps his arm around your waist, both hands resting innocently near your rear end. 

 

“No one else’s girl I’d rather be.” 

 

The warm smile he gives you sends butterflies in your stomach. He slides a hand into your hair and captures your lips in one of the sweetest, yet sensual kisses you’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. 

 

The way you gently grip the back of his head tells him he’s got you good. 

 

His lips pull away only to place a kiss next to your nose then trail a few more along your cheekbone until you feel him by your ear. 

 

“You really are the most gorgeous woman here,” his gruff whisper sends a quick shiver through your body. 

 

He doesn’t move right away so you lean your cheek against his as a pink blush settles in your cheeks.  You turn your face slightly into his, kissing his jaw as you both pull back. And it's like that night at the diner, your faces don’t move far, he rests his forehead by your temple, the corner of your mouths almost touching, his beard sparking your nerves. You run the tips of your fingers through his hair at the back of his head as he whispers sweet sentiments to you, ones that exist in this pure moment that houses only you two.  

 

As everyone stops dancing and claps for the end of the song, you and Sam stop last and look at each other like you’re both the only people in the room.  He grasps your cheek and kisses your other one then you hug him close.  

 

The next song is an upbeat one so you take his hand and walk towards the table, to get off the dance floor.  You’re taken by surprise when he pulls you back by spinning you back into his arms. 

 

“What are you doing?” you laugh as you grab his biceps. 

 

“Trying my best,” and you know he means he’s willing to dance with you to this music.

 

And despite not being able to move as fast as some other guys his age, he does relatively well. He even dips you a couple times. 

 

He hasn’t stopped smiling since that first dance with you and you feel giddy at the fact that it’s due to you. 

 

Once back at the table, you sit on his lap. He unbuttons his cuffs and rolls his sleeves up before holding you, hands on your knees. 

 

“Ladies to the dance floor! The bride is going to throw her bouquet!” 

 

You don’t move and he squeezes your thigh, “Aren’t you gonna go?” 

 

A small shrug and you tease him with a smirk, “But if I catch it, you might have to marry me?” 

 

“Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” and he chuckles as you give his beard a playful tug in response.  You shake your head playfully and get up to join the other women. 

 

The bride tosses the bouquet blindly behind her and lo and behold, you’re the one who catches it. 

 

Jimmy claps and looks over at a smiling Sam.

 

“Looks like you got yourself a future bride, Sammy,” he laughs. 

 

“Seems I do,” he chuckles. 

 

As you approach him, he opens his arms to you where you take your seat in his lap again.  

 

“Alright fellas, your turn! We got a garter looking for a new home!”

 

Sam’s already shaking his head when you go to look at him. 

 

“What?” you laugh, “I went!” 

 

“You went for flowers. The only garter I want is one from these legs,” and he slips his hand under your skirt to skim the top of your thighs. 

 

“Such a gentleman,” you wink and give him a kiss. 

 

The reception ends soon after. Maggie asked to sleepover at her friend's house which you agree to. Her friend offered to drive her home to get her stuff. 

 

Once in his truck, Sam asks, “Up for a detour?” 

 

“Always.” 

 

Your joined hands rest on your thigh. His thumb rubs over your fingers as he drives in the night to his destination. 

 

He takes you to an overlook that sits above some rapids and where the stars shine bright. 

 

“Sam…this is amazing.”  

 

His arm snakes behind your back and grabs your hip. You feel him pull you and you get the hint. You shift onto his lap, leaning back against his window, legs draped across his lap. 

 

He keeps an arm behind your back, holding onto the wheel while his other hand caresses the tops of your legs. 

 

“I had a lot of fun tonight. You don’t dance bad at all for someone who claims he does.” 

 

His eyes look from you to out the windshield at the sky. He seems sad almost. You move so you’re straddling his lap.  His hands immediately move to your thighs and slide up under your skirt. You look at him but slowly start undoing his tie. 

 

“I don’t want to ever embarrass you or make you regret…” as he speaks he gives a quick nudge with his bad leg to indicate what he’s referring to and you cut him off by kissing him.  His hands move to grasp your waist and slide up a bit until his thumbs lightly touch the bottom of your breasts through your dress. 

 

You rest your hands on his chest near the base of his throat.

 

“You listen to me. I will never be embarrassed by you, never regret anything with you. I don’t look at you and see the broken man that you seem to. I just see you, Sam,” now you start kissing his face between words, “Wonderful, caring, handsome, you.” 

 

He brushes your hair behind your ear and skims his thumb over your chin. 

 

“I do have to admit…” his voice low, “I’m starting to feel less and less broken with you around.” 

 

It’s just a gloss over your eyes, no real tears to spill. But it hits you just the same. 

 

“Good,” you manage to say quietly but he still hears the tiny waver to it.  His hand is in your hair and pulling your face towards him where he kisses you good. 

 

Your hands grasp his face and you press against his lips a little more, still overcome with his words. 

 

As you shift a bit, you end up rolling your hips against him and you both react with a moan of some sort. His hands are back on your thighs, under your skirt. 

 

Parting from his lips, you nudge your nose against his and roll your hips again. He gives a low groan from his throat whereas he hears your tiny gasp. 

 

His breathing is more rapid, as is yours, but he squeezes your thighs. With a low whisper full of need, “I don’t want to do this for the first time with you in a car.” 

 

And you can appreciate that on some level, but right now your body wants to cry at his words.  

 

You still haven’t caught your breath, “Okay.” 

 

He kisses you again, slipping his tongue in, and he feels the need from you as you kiss him back.

 

He runs his knuckles up the inside of your thigh then brushes them over your heat. 

 

You gasp against his mouth, “Sam…”

 

He keeps his hand still, unsure if you want him to keep going.

 

“...please,” you basically beg with a whine. 

 

He moves your panties aside and continues the movement of his hand, fingers finding you.

 

He kisses you a few times between your gasps then he sticks to kissing your jaw and neck as you lean your head back, moans becoming more frequent. 

 

When you reach the peak of it, he watches as your eyes close and your lips part, your moan going momentarily silent at the incredible sensation. You find him watching you when you go to kiss him. 


	6. Chapter 6

Maggie was ecstatic! Her team won their basketball game and she couldn’t wait to tell you.  The game was a few towns over so Sam had taken her; you needed to close the diner again. 

 

As agreed, since he and Mags would be getting home late anyway, he’d pick you up at work and take you home too. 

 

It was about 10 minutes past closing so when Sam pulled up to the diner and all the lights were still on, he had a sinking feeling immediately. 

 

“Thought she said she’d be waiting outside?” your sister questioned. 

 

“Yeah...maybe she’s still cleaning up,” he says as an afterthought but he sees dishes still on a couple of tables. He had been with you when you closed before and that’s why he knew something was wrong; you always had everything clean and closed right on time.

 

Sam steps out of his truck, “Mags, lock the doors and get down in the seat.”

 

“Why? Sam, what’s wrong?” She’s scared now.

 

“Just do it. I’ll be right back.”

 

Sam walks to the front door, taking a glance around inside before entering. It’s quiet until a moan of pain sounds from the back booth. 

 

Jimmy is sitting against the wall, blood seeping from his shoulder.  Sam rushes over and shoves his hand against the gunshot wound. 

 

“You’re gonna be fine. Just keep applying pressure,” Sam takes Jimmy’s hand and places it over his own wound. 

 

Sam then says your name to him, “Where is she?!” 

 

“Re..register.”

 

Sam gets up and rushes to the register. He sees you unconscious on the ground as he rounds the counter. He’s on one knee and cups your face; blood is running down your face from a wound to your head. 

 

“Come on sweetheart, wake up,” he wipes some blood from your face, “Wake up for me, come on.”

 

Sam reaches a bloody hand to the phone next to the register and dials 911. The call results in you and Jimmy being transported to the hospital, each in an ambulance. Maggie rode with you, now awake, as Sam followed behind in his truck. 

 

You need to stay overnight just as a precaution since the robber pistol whipped you. Maggie is asleep in the chair she pulled up next to your bed. 

 

You have stitches in your eyebrow and a few bruises. You can’t sleep and neither can Sam, who hasn’t left your side either. 

 

He runs his hand down his beard a couple of times before pushing off the wall and walking over to your side. He smooths his hand over your head, “Those painkillers kick in yet?” 

 

“Yeah, head stopped throbbing.” 

 

You both fall silent for a minute before his quiet voice, full of emotion, breaks it, “I thought I lost you.” 

 

And any strength you tried to have disappears at his words and the sound of his voice.

 

“Sam,” you start to cry. 

 

He leans down and kisses your head in desperation almost, “I knew something was wrong when I pulled up,” you grip his arm, “When I walked in, I...I didn’t see you…” 

 

You pull his face to yours and kiss him. 

 

“Maggie and you. That’s all I thought when he pointed it at me. Maggie and you.” 

 

He wipes your tears and kisses your cheek. He looks into your teary eyes, “I love you.” 

 

“I hoped to have told you that in a better situation than this,” and he gets a quiet laugh from you as a few happy tears now fall, “but this scared the hell out of me. So at this point all that matters is that you know. I just need you to know...I love you.” 

 

And you pull him down for another kiss.  He matches the smile you have on. 

 

“I was going to tell you at a better time too,” and if possible, his smile gets a little bigger, “I love you, too.”

 

-

 

It’s been a week and a half since the robbery. Sam is driving you home from getting your stitches out. You’ve been quiet, he’s noticed you touching your scarred eyebrow every now and then. 

 

It’s noticeable but it’s not huge. A white line that goes through your eyebrow hair a bit. 

 

You respond if he says something but other than that, you obviously are struggling with something. 

 

Once home, he follows you to your bedroom where you immediately look in the mirror at your new look. He leans against the doorway, eyeing you. 

 

You glance at him looking at you and sigh, “I’m sorry. Just...look at it,” you turn to face him, “It’s just right there. Can’t miss it. It looks…” 

 

“...beautiful,” he finishes for you. 

 

“Right,” you whisper sarcastically. 

 

“It is. It’s part of a beautiful woman, so that makes it beautiful too.” 

 

As much as you disagree, you still blush at his words. 

 

Sam starts unbuttoning his shirt which catches your attention. You still haven’t seen him shirtless yet, aside from that night in his truck after the wedding, your relationship was going an enjoyable slow pace. He pulls the tucked hem out of his pants then takes his shirt off. 

 

From the side of his ribs, down to the top of the slight V of his hips was a white line of an old scar. 

 

“Bull horn,” is his explanation. 

 

You run your fingertips down it, giving him goosebumps. 

 

“You have one and so do I,” he runs his thumb over your new scar and kisses it, “I know you don’t look at me and see only this scar. And I don’t only see yours when I look at you.”

 

“So, what do you see?” Since yours is right there on your face. 

 

“These bright eyes of yours,” he cups your cheek and runs his thumb under your eye,” and these damn lips of yours that drive me crazy.” 

 

And you smile with a laugh at his answer. 

 

“And that, that damn smile that I love too.” 

 

He smiles as he kisses you. Since he’s shirtless, you run your hands along his chest as he deepens the kiss. 

 

Your nails drag along the skin above his belt which causes Sam to grip your hips in response.  Once you pull your shirt off, you both know where this is headed. 

 

His hands undo the button and zipper of your jeans as his mouth moves back on yours. You push the waistband down and wiggle out of them. Standing before him in your bra and panties, he takes a second to look at your body before kissing you. 

 

“Worth the wait,” he shares between kisses. Quickly you unbuckle his belt and his jeans pushing them down his hips. 

 

He pulls you flush against his body and kisses along your shoulder as he unhooks your bra. As the band separates in two, he runs his hand over your back where it had been. A tiny step back to take it off completely, then your breasts are back against his chest. The kissing is more passionate, both of you moving your hands as you feel every curve of the other’s body. 

 

His fingers slide into the top of your panties at the sides and pushes down until they fall down your legs. He then pushes his boxer briefs off. 

 

The kissing barely interrupted, you manage to lay down on your bed together.  

 

As desperately as you both want this, you both also don’t want to rush it.  Sam really proves this when his lips brush almost every inch of skin. He spends more time at your chest and between your legs, but he still gives your entire body attention. 

 

When he does start moving into you, he’s just as attentive as that night in his motel room when you two were simply making out. 

 

You squeeze your thighs against his hips and he kisses you slowly and deeply. 

 

As you both lay in a tangle of sheets and limbs afterwards, you love the way his chest heaves as he catches his breath.  

 

Placing a hand on it, you run your other hand through his hair.  He picks your hand up from his chest and kisses it. Kisses your palm, kisses your fingertips. He then pulls it behind his head as he moves to lean over you. You wrap your arm around his neck, your other coming up from under his arm. He presses several kisses to your neck on either side, then kisses along your collarbones. 

 

“You’re right, much better in a bed.” 

 

He huffs a laugh and a smile against your breast, moving back up to look at you. 

 

He sees your amused smirk and has to kiss you because of it. 

 

You giggle into the kiss and he slowly runs his hand down your side. 

 

A couple more times of enjoying each other’s bodies and he’s pulling on his boxer briefs while you pull on your panties. You also grab his button up and put it on, buttoning it up so it just barely covers your chest.  

 

Heading into the kitchen, Sam starts a pot of coffee and you grab an apple, slicing it up.  He comes up behind you, arms embracing you. After he kisses the back of your head, you hold up an apple slice over your shoulder which he takes with his mouth. The cold juice from the slice makes you jump when he kisses your neck quick as he chews.  Then you feel his thumb swipe at the speck of juice left behind. 

 

When the coffee finishes brewing, he pours two mugs. Taking his own and the plate of apple slices he takes a seat at the table. You notice he sticks out his troubled leg to stretch it. You pour a little cream in your coffee then head over and sit on his knee. 

 

You hug his head to your chest and kiss his hair, before smoothing your hand over his hairline, “Hurting?” 

 

He unbuttons just one button on his shirt you have on, and kisses between your breasts. 

 

“It ain’t too bad.”

 

“You should have told me.”

 

“Why’s that? Wasn’t gonna stop just because you were worried about me,” he kisses the base of your throat. 

 

“Because...there are certain positions where the woman does the work,” you whisper seductively against his skin as you nip his earlobe. 

 

He gives a small aroused growl that doesn’t leave his throat, “Fair enough.” 

 

You press your lips to the corner of his eye and his temple.  

 

“You ever try a warm bath to help with the pain?”

 

“Not in a long time.”

 

“Well, this house does have a tub,” you mention as he bends his leg at the knee and you straddle him. 

 

“Mmm,” he starts unbuttoning the rest of the buttons, “And would this bath come with you?”

 

“If you want,” but you know he does. 

 

“When’s Mags supposed to be home?” 

 

“She has basketball practice after school, so we have a couple more hours.” 

 

His hands push the sides of his shirt open. 

 

“Then let’s go.”

 

Once in the bathroom, tub filled, Sam lowers himself in with you doing the same right after. You lean back against his chest, his arms around you. 

 

Both of you just relax, hands fiddling with each other's.

 

“You give more thought about the diner?”

 

“Yeah. I think I’ll stay, just tell him that I won’t be closing anymore.”

 

“There’s always room for you at the motel, you know that.”

 

You turn and kiss his bicep, “I know, thank you. But I just wanna have a job on my own terms, no help from anyone. I’ll still look around though, see if there’s anything that pays the same.”

 

You hear and feel him sigh quietly, “He’s still out there.” 

 

The robber. And you think the same thing, it’s always in the back of your mind.  

 

“I know,” you pull his arms around you tighter, “They have his DNA at least from where I scratched him. Increases the chances of catching him if he does it again somewhere.”

 

He kisses the side of your neck, “I love you.”

 

Smiling to yourself, “I love you, too.”

 

You reach down and rub his outer thigh, “Is the warmth helping?” 

 

“The warmth, you,” he lists in confirmation.

 

___

 

Sam’s sitting at the counter of the diner.  You refill his coffee with a blushing smile as he smirks at you. 

 

Sam’s taking you out for dinner so he figured he’d hang out at the diner for the last half hour of your shift. 

 

A guy a little younger than Sam, sits down next to him at the counter. 

 

“Hey, what can I get you?”  

 

“Cranberry juice. And some toast,” the guy answers.  

 

Sam quirks an eyebrow as he overhears the odd order. He glances at him and something above his shirt collar catches his attention - three, almost healed, scratches on his neck. 

 

His heart speeds up. This is him. This is the robber who hit you and got away.

 

The guy feels Sam’s eyes on him. 

 

“We got a problem?” he snips.

 

Sam shakes his head calmly, “Not at all,” and sips his coffee. 

 

As Sam tries to think up what to do, he gets an advantage when the guy stands up and heads towards the bathrooms. 

 

He waits a minute before following the guy, but he stops you along the way, “Call the police. He’s here.”

 

You know immediately who he’s referring to and you also see the look in his eyes, “Sam, don’t! Let the cops handle him.” 

 

“Call now,” and he heads to the bathroom.  

 

The guy is just zipping up as Sam walks in. As the guy turns to say something to him, Sam gives him a right hook. 

 

The guy stumbles and manages to clock Sam before Sam comes right back with another punch to his nose.

 

“You’re fucking stupid,” the guy spits out as he pulls a gun from the back of his waistband. 

 

Sam shoves the guy’s arm up where he fires a round into the ceiling.  They struggle for control of the gun. 

 

In the diner, at the sound of the gunshot, everyone drops to the ground and rushes outside.  You tried to stay, afraid for Sam, but one of the cooks pulled you out. 

 

The gun drops from his grasp, but gets kicked in the shuffle. Both Sam and the man go for it. The man gets his hands on it and fires at Sam, barely missing him. With a loud ringing in his ear now, Sam tackles the guy, knocking the gun out of his hand. 

 

Police arrive on scene and enter the bathroom, guns drawn. Gunfire ensues and you hear on a radio outside that they have one dead. 

 

Hands shaking, you can only hope it wasn’t Sam. It couldn’t be. 

 

Through the large glass windows, you see two cops walking from the bathrooms, the third is talking to Sam as they all head for the door. 

 

You rush past the crowd and run into the diner. 

 

“You can’t be in here,” Charlie, the police lieutenant everyone knows, tells you. 

 

Ignoring him, you walk up to Sam and push his chest, “I told you not to do anything!”  Then you’re hugging him hard.  

 

“Gunshots! What else was I supposed to think?” You cry. 

 

“I know, shh, shh, I know,” he holds the back of your neck. 

 

You look at him and see the few bloody cuts on his face, “I can’t believe you went after him,” you quietly tell him. 

 

“He went after you.” 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter, but there is still plenty to come!

_**Eight Months Later** _

 

You see Maggie poke her head out of the motel office before quickly disappearing back into it when she spots you.

 

Something’s up. 

 

You enter the office and see Sam standing behind the desk.

 

“What are you two up to?” 

 

He walks around and kisses you before explaining. 

 

“We had a little visitor surprise Rosie this morning as she made her rounds. Mags said to call you right away.”

 

Maggie stands up from behind the desk. In her arms is a small mutt of a [puppy](http://www.dogsbynina.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/blue-heeler-puppy.jpg). 

 

“Oh my god!” you immediately pet the puppy as she holds him, Maggie clearly in love with it already. 

 

Sam smirks and pets the pup. 

 

“He came out from the woods! Sam’s gonna keep him, said he’s ours.”

 

“If you want, I mean. He could stay here or at your house, whichever you want,” Sam adds.

 

The puppy is beyond adorable and you kiss his head. 

 

“And what about you?” you look at Sam.

 

His brows knit together, “What do you mean?”

 

“If the puppy lives at our house, would you live with us too?”

 

Maggie smiles as she cuddles the puppy. You two spoke about asking Sam to move in and Maggie had no problem at all with it.

 

“You askin’ me to move in with you?” His lips moving into a smile. 

 

You nod and wrap your arms around his torso.

 

“You’re over all the time anyway,” Maggie chimes in excitedly. 

 

Sam chuckles at her then looks at you. He combs his hand into your hair, “Knowing I’d be waking up to you every single morning does sound pretty great.”

 

Your smile gets bigger as he makes it obvious what he’s saying.

 

“Yeah,” he kisses you, “I absolutely want to.” he smiles. 

 

Maggie smiles, kissing the puppy. 

 

Your run your hand into his beard as he leans in. He kisses you, then rests his forehead against yours, “Got one condition,” he whispers with a smirk. 

 

“And what would that be?” you kiss him quick. 

 

“We make use of that tub on a regular basis,” and he chuckles as you giggle against his cheek. 

 

“I think we can make that happen,” kissing him softly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you know how they say write what you know? That's the logic behind the actor mention in this chapter haha

Two boxes and a duffle bag was all Sam needed to move his belongings to his new home with you, Maggie, and the new puppy.

 

“This is really all you have?” 

 

“Motel rooms ain’t big,” he jokes as he unpacks his boxes in your bedroom, now also his bedroom.  You’re sitting cross legged on the bed, grabbing a couple paperback books he has and some of his shirts. 

 

You cleared out several drawers for him and closet space and he barely took up half of it.  Even his toiletries were slim - toothbrush, scissors, razor, deodorant, cologne, and some stuff to keep his beard soft. 

 

It took him about twenty minutes to put everything away. And just like that, you and Sam were living together. 

 

When he sticks a pair of boots in the closet, he sits on the edge of the bed and lays back so his head is in your lap. 

 

His curls call to you and you sweetly run your hand through them continuously.  With a relaxed grin, he closes his eyes for a second as he enjoys the feeling. Then he looks up at you. 

 

You lean down and kiss him good. 

 

“I love you.”

 

He reaches his hand up to grip the back of your neck gently, pulling you down for another kiss. 

 

“I love you, too.”

 

“Dinner’s ready!” Maggie calls up the stairs. 

 

You and her always share the dinner responsibility. And Sam already said he’d step in too. Maggie just only seems to know how to make spaghetti or macaroni and cheese, but you’ll take what you can get. 

 

Sam kisses you quick before sitting back up. You sit up on your knees and wrap your arms around his neck from behind. He puts a hand on your arms and gently scratches the back of your head with his other as you press a kiss to his neck.  When he leans down to kiss your forearm by his chin, you smile into his hair. With a pat on your thigh behind him, you let him go and you both head downstairs. 

 

Once you reach the bottom of the stairs, Mo, your new puppy named for being found at the motel, comes clumsily running up to you two. 

 

“Hey little Mo,” you coo as you bend down and cuddle him in your arms. Sam scratches the pup’s head and under his little chin. 

 

Maggie has the table set and the spaghetti plated.  You kiss Mo’s head and set him down as you and Sam take a seat at the table.  As you eat, Mo runs to each person looking for scraps and pulling at pant legs.  

 

Once dinner was had, Maggie took Mo with her to her room; she had to finish up some homework but you knew it would take her twice the time because of Mo being an adorable distraction. 

 

Sam had his sleeves rolled up as he washed the dishes in the sink. You were settled on the counter next to him drying each piece of dishware he handed you. 

 

“Inception is on tonight. Maggie was too young to understand it when it came out, so she wants to give it a rewatch.” 

 

“Yeah? Never saw it myself,” he glances at you as he hands you a plate.

 

“You never saw it? Oh my god. It’s so good! Plus Tom Hardy is in it...always a good thing.”

 

Sam stops washing and looks at you, “You tellin’ me I’ve got competition?” 

 

When he spoke, you were busy drying and he sounded serious. But when you look at him, you see the smirk on his lips. 

 

“Don’t be crazy,” you lean towards him, and he meets you halfway, and you kiss him causing him to smile. You add on, “He lives in England, I have no chance,” and you laugh as you wink and stick out your tongue quick at him. 

 

He flicks water at you and you hold up the dish towel as a shield while you yelp in surprise with a laugh. He chuckles and goes back to washing. Scooting to the edge of countertop, you throw your arms around his neck and pull him a little closer. You press a kiss to the corner of his eye and his cheek, “No need to be jealous,” you whisper teasingly.  He turns his head and kisses you softly. 

 

“I’m not. He wasn’t the one you were dreaming about last night, was he?” he answers smugly. 

 

“Oh my god,” you cover your face with your hands. You had a sex dream about Sam, but you hadn’t realized you were vocal about it as it happened. 

 

Sam turns the sink off and dries his hands as he chuckles. As you bring your hands down, he moves in front of you, hands sliding up your thighs. 

 

Still blushing, you run your hands over his chest, “You’re terrible.” 

 

“From what you were saying, didn’t sound like I was,” and he laughs more when your cheeks get pinker. 

 

“Come here,” he cups your cheek and kisses you, “I’ll have to see what this guy looks like. He doesn’t have a beard, does he?” 

 

You smirk and shake your head, “Only you know how use that properly,” you kiss the corner of his mouth before being flirty and hopping off the counter to walk away. 

 

“Nuh uh,” he grasps your hand and pulls you back against his chest, “Can’t say something like that and walk away,” he nuzzles his beard against your neck and you bite your lip as his mouth moves too. 

 

“Mmm, Tom who?” you giggle. 

 

“That’s right,” he says against your neck with a sly grin. 

 

Just then Maggie’s footsteps are heard near the top of the stairs. 

 

You push him away gently, cheeks still flushed. He slides his hand into your hair and pulls you in for a soft kiss, “Finish this later” he whispers and you nod against him. 

 

Maggie bounds down the stairs holding Mo to her chest. She kisses him and puts him down. He runs to the leg of the table and lifts his tiny leg, peeing on it. 

 

“Oh no,” Mags mutters. 

 

“I got him,” Sam rips a few paper towels from the roll and wets them. He hands the wet towels to Mags and scoops up Mo with one hand, “Come on bud,” taking him out back to see if he has anything left in him. 

 

Mags groans as she cleans up the pee, “so gross”. 

 

“Part of having a puppy. Better get used to it,” you grab a bag of microwavable popcorn and put it in the microwave. 

 

Just as Maggie finishes washing her hands and you split the bag of popcorn into two bowls, Sam comes in with an excited puppy at his heels. You hand one bowl to Maggie and smile as Mo runs to you. 

 

“There he is!” and you pick him up, cuddling him to your chest. He licks your nose then snuggles into your neck as you hold him with one hand. 

 

“How’d he do?” 

 

“Had a tiny bit more left in him,” Sam gives a quick chuckle, “Praised him up and down,” Sam kisses the side of your head.

 

“Aw, good.” 

 

Mo falls asleep with his head on your shoulder. 

 

“Hey Sam, she tell you she’s got the hots for Tom Hardy?” Mags teases as she laughs at your expression. 

 

“Thanks for the sisterly loyalty,” you sarcastically say as you blush. 

 

“Yeah,” he looks at you, “Heard somethin’ about that. This should be fun,” he smirks as he brushes a knuckle against one of your pink cheeks. 

 

You look at him then lean into his chest to bury your face in his shoulder. His beard tickles your forehead as he kisses it, then he kisses your cheek, hand rubbing your back. 

 

Your blushing gets worse and you step away from him to gently lay Mo down in his dog crate you have set up in the living room. 

 

Maggie plops sideways on the armchair with her popcorn bowl settled on her stomach and Sam settles into the couch, holding the other bowl. When you walk over, Sam opens his arm and you sit down, snuggling against his side. He places the bowl in your lap.  With his hand of the arm around you, he sweetly smooths over your hair. 

 

The second Tom Hardy comes on screen, Maggie giggles, “That’s him.” 

 

Sam glances at you and your dark pink cheeks and chuckles. His arm around you comes up and his hand tenderly grabs your chin and you let him turn your face towards his own.

 

“This guy?” he whispers as he motions to the TV with his head, eyes never leaving yours, smirk on his face with a slight knit of his eyebrows.

 

Looking at Sam, you feel such an ache of love. You slide your hand along his beard and cup his cheek. Shaking your head, you hum in disagreement. 

 

“This guy,” and you give a short motion with your chin to indicate Sam, himself.  Your voice so sincere that his teasing expression softens. 

 

His hand moves back to your side as he turns into your touch and kisses your palm before you’re kissing him softly.  He hugs you closer into the kiss and when you eventually pull away, he kisses your scar, lips lingering for a second before you’re both settling into each other to continue watching the movie. 

 

Later that night, when the movie was over and everyone was settled in for the night, Sam has you against the wall in your shared bedroom, his hands gripping your thighs at his hips. His promise to finish things unbroken.

 

With your sister a few rooms away, you both are more aware to keep things quiet.  One arm around his shoulders and your other around his neck, hand gripping the back of his head as your quiet gasps hit directly next to his ear. 

 

You keep your back against the wall, just your hips slightly off, so there’s no odd noise heard throughout the house.  When his movements pick up, you have to moan into his jaw, his beard helping to muffle the sounds even more. Eventually, he kisses you deep, swallowing the pleasurable sounds that leave your lips.

 

He rests his head against yours when he’s finished, as you slowly bring your feet back to the floor. You’re kept steady by his hold on you. You lean back against the wall and slide both hands into his hair at the sides, pulling him into you to kiss him. 

 

His hands skim down your sides, fingertips brushing so lightly that your nerves don’t calm down in the least. 

 

“Sam,” you just about gasp out his name. 

 

The sound of his name coming out of you like that drives him wild. His hand finds your jaw and he ducks his head down to start loving on your neck. The hand on your jaw slides back halfway into your hair as you feel his teeth scrape below your ear and his lips causing your skin to pulse.  

 

You grip his wrist and lean your head back. Your other hand roams the right side of his broad back, fingertips feeling the few old scars that are raised on his skin.  

 

A red mark is left behind then you feel the hairs of his beard move along the side of your face as his lips brush the shell of your ear.

 

“God...” he breathes, almost growls, “...you have any idea how beautiful you are?” and the tickle of his deep voice in your ear sends a shiver down your spine.  His hand moves along the curve of your ass when he hears you barely whisper, “no.”

 

Just like that he stops the kisses by your ear and his hands come up to cradle your face. 

 

“Well you should…” and he’s so focused on you and his words as revealed by the two small creases between his brows, “...because baby you are absolutely gorgeous.”

 

And even though you just made love, it’s those words from him that make you blush the most. 

 

As is your natural reaction, you look down as you can’t believe it, but he doesn’t let you finish your self-deprecating thought. Sam, with his hands still on your face, tilts your face back up to his, “You are. Whether you believe it or not, you so are,” and he kisses you softly before adding, “And I’ll keep telling you that you are,” he kisses the corner of your nose, “every single day”, he kisses between your eyebrows, “until you believe it,” and he runs his thumb across your lips, “and then, even after you do.” 

 

You kiss him deep and slow and his hands move from your face. He slowly runs them down your arms that are around his neck, then down the sides of your chest, then down until he grips the back of your thighs and lifts you up around his hips. 

 

He takes you to bed where he holds you in his arms, hands never leaving each other. 


	9. Chapter 9

When you wake up, the sky outside is still dark. Sam, now fully dressed, is over you. He’s leaning on his hand that’s next to your body and his other hand is caressing your face. 

 

“Hey,” he whispers so sweet, “I’m leaving now. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?” and he leans down to kiss near your eye. 

 

He needs to start his midnight shift at the motel. 

 

Groggily, you roll from your side onto your back and sleepily open your eyes. His heart clenches when you reach up to his cheek and stroke his skin. 

 

“Okay,” your voice sounds so small and tired, “Be careful,” and he lets you weakly pull him down for a proper kiss. 

 

“I will. I’ll see you later,” and he leans down to kiss you one more time, both of you whispering your love for each other.  

 

_____

 

It’s 8:30am when Sam pulls into the driveway of the house that he now calls home. He turns the ignition off and just takes a second to himself. 

 

The warm feeling that’s surging through his body is indescribable. Knowing that he has an actual house to call home, a cute pup, a great girl who's like a daughter, and the most unbelievable woman all just behind that door is better than anything he could have ever imagined for himself. 

 

He grabs the bag of bagels and the carrier of coffee in one hand and makes his way to the door. As soon as he steps inside his smile gets bigger. 

 

Maggie is stretched out on the couch, a blanket hanging half off of her, asleep. 

 

You are asleep and curled up on the floor, dressed in cotton shorts and one of Sam’s t-shirts, next to Mo’s cage. Mo is asleep with his head in your hand that you slipped between the bars of his cage. 

 

When Sam takes one more step, Mo’s little tail starts wagging, thumping against his blanket before the rest of him wakes up. 

 

All Sam can think is how this is his family and he wouldn’t change a damn thing. 

 

He can already figure out what happened. Mo hates being alone in his cage and he breaks your heart with the crying he does. Sam’s had dogs before so when he’s here, he barely manages to keep you from coddling Mo because it would just hinder the crate training. With Sam at work, you broke and came to Mo’s aid. Maggie must have heard and joined the puppy party. 

 

Sam drops off the bagels and coffee on the kitchen counter. Walking to the couch, he readjusts the blanket on Mags and kisses her forehead. 

 

Mo is standing up in his cage now watching Sam and starting to whine. He hates to leave you on the floor, but he knows Mo has to go out so he lets Mo out and takes him in the backyard where he does his business. Once back inside, Mo sniffs around the room before starting to lazily chew at the corner of Maggie’s blanket. 

 

Sam takes a knee next to you and slips a hand under the shirt you have on and squeezes your side gently a couple of times until you stir and lift your head up. 

 

He watches as you run a hand through your hair and stretch a bit.  Then you sit up, hugging your knees to your chest, rolling your sore neck a bit. Sam’s warm hand is on the back of your neck now, massaging gently.

 

“I’m gone one night and you cave,” he jokes. 

 

“He sounds so sad,” you whine quietly with a shy smile. 

 

“Yeah, yeah,” is what he quips but he actually loves how much you care about Mo. 

 

“You wanna go to bed? I’ll take care of him until you’re ready,” Sam offers. 

 

“No, no. I’m awake,” and you both stand up. You take hold of the open ends of his jacket, “You’re the one who just worked all night. Go rest,” kissing him sweetly. 

 

He rubs your back and kisses your temple, “Coffee and bagels are on the counter.”

 

“Why are you so good to us?” you nuzzle his beard as you hug his neck. 

 

“Cause you’re cute,” he grins against your cheek. 

 

_____

 

A few hours later you go upstairs and open the bedroom door quietly. It’s Saturday so Maggie is home and playing with Mo outside.

 

Sam is shirtless, asleep on his stomach. His toned arms are tucked under the pillow, his head turned towards your side of the bed. 

 

You walk to your side and lift the sheets, getting in next to him. Slowly you start pressing kisses to his shoulder and bicep. 

 

A smile spreads on his face before he opens his eyes. You brush your hand through his hair, “Just checking on you.”

 

He doesn’t move except for lifting up his arm you just kissed. 

 

“Come here,” that cute smile still on his face, but he closes his eyes again. 

 

With your own smile, you snuggle into him and his arm comes down to rest on your hip and pull you close. You tuck your face near his and his nose brushes your eyebrow as he rests his lips against your forehead.

 

It had to be only an hour later when the sound of his cell phone breaks the silence.  

 

He runs a hand down his face as he wakes up, now on his back. You lift your head from his chest and turn your face into his side a bit, still tired. As he reaches to the nightstand with one arm, he massages the back of your head with the hand of his other. 

 

He grabs his phone, holds it over his face to accept the call, and brings it to his ear. 

 

You can make out a female voice on the other end, but you only hear Sam’s side. 

 

“Hey, what’s going on?” he says calmly. 

 

Then you hear him huff out a sigh which causes you to lift your head. You put your arm on his pec and rest your chin on your forearm, watching him. 

 

“How long?”

 

“Look, I’ll...uh...I’ll think about it.” 

 

“You know why. I’ll call you later, okay? Just keep me updated.” 

 

“Thanks. Love you too.” and he hangs up, putting the phone back on the nightstand next to him. He pinches the bridge of his nose with an annoyed huff. 

 

You rub his side, “Talk to me.” 

 

He moves so you do too. He sits up and leans back against the headboard. He pulls you close and you sit cross legged up against his legs. 

 

“That was Sarah…”

 

Sam’s sister. 

 

“Our, uh, father just found out he has stage 4 bone cancer. Spread throughout already. She says he doesn’t have much time left and she wants me to come see him...say goodbye.” 

 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” 

 

“I don’t...I don’t know if I’m gonna go.” He leans his head back and glances at the wall across from him before looking at you. 

 

And you understand why. Sam explained it all before to you once. When him and Sarah were in elementary school, their dad walked out on them. Their mom raised them by herself. Then come high school, he shows back up and their mother accepts him into their lives again. Sam couldn’t. He never got along with him after all that happened.  He couldn’t forgive him. 

 

His dad also couldn’t understand Sam’s want to be a rodeo star which didn’t help their relationship. It was soon after Sam got hurt that his mom passed away. He left for Alaska after that. Furthest place from Virginia he could think of. 

 

“I know why you don’t want to, but you should.” 

 

He closes his eyes briefly as he shakes his head, “He’s a piece of shit.” 

 

You move to sit in his lap, “If for no other reason than for Sarah. She needs her brother right now. But I also think you’ll regret it if you aren’t there.”

 

“He left us. He left his two young kids and his wife. Left us feeling unwanted for years. Now he finds out he’s at death’s door and we’re supposed to act like he’s the best father in the world? Go crying at his side?” and his words are angry, hurt. 

 

“No,” you give a short shake of your head and smooth your hands over his chest, “But you have a chance to say goodbye to him, broken relationship or not. Not everyone gets that chance.”

 

And Sam sees the gloss to your eyes and he feels like an asshole. You and Maggie never got to say goodbye to your parents. An accident ripped them from your lives with no warning. So, you’re absolutely right. 

 

“Hey,” he says so soft before wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into his chest. You sniffle a couple of times, but you refuse to cry. 

 

“Just think about it,” you whisper. He ducks his head down and kisses your jaw.

 

“I will,” and he means it. 


	10. Chapter 10

He decided to go. Says he was going for Sarah really. You dropped him off at the airport yesterday where he again told you that he didn’t want you taking off work for this. 

 

But all you can think about is how he’s been there for you more times than you can count. And as angry as he is, it’s still his dad; if anyone was to be there for him, it should be you. 

 

That’s how you found yourself in the waiting room in a hospital in Virginia a few days later.  You had tried to get the nurse to tell you the room but you had to be family. You weren’t sure how his sister may react if you lied about being Sam’s wife, so you obeyed the nurse by staying in the waiting room. With a nervous breath, you texted Sam where you were. 

 

A few minutes later Sam is heading your way and despite the situation you see the small grin on his face. When he reaches you, he kisses you instantly. 

 

“What are you doing here?” his knuckles brushing your cheek sweetly. 

 

“You should have someone here for you. And I wanted to be that someone.”

 

Sam kisses you again, hands gripping your hips, “You should have told me, I’d have picked you up at the airport.”

 

“And have you tell me how it wasn’t necessary for me to waste time off the whole ride here?,” you tease as you slide your hands over his shoulders, and he glances off to the side with a quiet laugh because deep down he knows you’re right. 

 

“How are you though?” your voice more concerned now. 

 

Now you’re giving his hips a little squeeze before he pulls you in for a hug. You only lean your head back enough to see him as he speaks.

 

“They have him on morphine so he’s sleeping a lot. Sarah seems to be doing alright, for now.”  

 

It doesn’t go unnoticed that he never actually answered your question.  

 

“Come on,” he moves back to take your hand in his, “She was just complainin’ to me that I didn’t bring you along for her to finally meet.” 

 

As he walks down the hall with you he asks about Maggie and Mo and you tell him how Bernadette said she’d take them in no problem and Jimmy would keep an eye on the house.  And with work, you tell him how you were able to switch shifts and worked it all out.

 

Sam notices how you’re squeezing his hand tighter than normal. And once you walk past the windows to his father’s room, even tighter. 

 

The woman, who you assume is Sarah, looks like what you’d imagine the perfect southern wife would look like. The white ruffled collar of her blouse sticks out from the collar of her pink v-neck sweater; her white floral skirt has the perfect shape; and her pink wedge sandals match her sweater perfectly. 

 

You think about the plain, grey v-neck tshirt you have on with jeans and you feel so insignificant. The only thing that makes you feel better is Sam and how he hasn’t changed from his casual cowboy style. 

 

Sam stops before the door and he hears you take a breath. 

 

“I’m nervous,” you confess. 

 

“I know,” and his thumb runs across your hand he’s holding. 

 

“What if she doesn’t like me?” you glance at her through the window as she talks to the man in a suit next to her, her husband probably. You notice the father is asleep like Sam said.

 

“Not possible.”

 

“Sam, I’m serious,” your nerves failing you in the humor department right now. 

 

“So am I,” he says sincerely.  He kisses your forehead, “Ready?” 

 

He sees you give a nervous nod and he’s walking into the room with you. 

 

Sarah and her husband look over at you two when you enter and you see her eyes glance quickly at your hand in Sam’s. A smile starts on her face. 

 

Sam introduces you to his sister and her husband, Greg.

 

“Oh my god, it’s so nice to finally meet you!” Sarah exclaims as she goes to hug you. You don’t know why you weren’t expecting this level of friendliness, but you weren’t. You return her hug, “You too. Though I’m so sorry it’s under these circumstances.” 

 

She rubs your arm, “Thank you so much. I’m sorry too,” and her smile falters for a second before she seems to pull herself out of it. Greg steps in and shakes your hand, exchanging pleasantries. 

 

Once the introductions are over, you feel Sam’s arm snake around your waist from behind as he presses a kiss to the side of your head.  You run your hand along his forearm as Sarah smiles at the affection between you two. 

 

“So, did my brother here neglect to pick you up from the airport?” she teasingly glares at Sam before smiling at you. 

 

“Um, no. I didn’t tell him I was coming. He was too worried about inconveniencing me that he told me I didn’t have to come,” you rub his knuckles of the hand at your waist as a comforting act for yourself. 

 

“Sounds like him,” she says, “So tell me you didn’t book a hotel room yet, because you’re absolutely staying at our house with Sam.” 

 

“Oh, no I didn’t but that’s awfully kind of you. Thank you,” now you were more nervous. 

 

“Of course! It’s our pleasure! Now sit, sit. I’ve heard so much about you.”

 

Sam gestures for you to sit in the only extra chair left. But you happened to have noticed Sam was favoring his bad leg a little more than usual when he came to the waiting room. He tends to stand around when he’s agitated so who knows just how long that’s been.  

 

You touch his arm and quietly tell him to take the chair. Sarah hears your words and smiles to herself. Sam tries to convince you to take it even though you’re right, his leg is sore, but he should know better.  Sarah watches as Sam sits down, stretching his leg out. You stand close but Sam practically pulls you into his lap and you stifle a quiet giggle from his actions, cheeks going pink. And seeing the way Sam smiles at you in response, Sarah couldn’t be happier. 

 

She asks you about Maggie and Mo. About life with Sam and your job. She tells you how she’s a teacher and Greg is a lawyer. About their two kids, Hannah and Josh, and how they’re at sleepaway camp for the summer. And she’s just so warm and kind to you. 

 

Their father slept the whole time so once visiting hours were over, Sam drove with you in your rental car to his sister’s house. 

 

Once you arrive, she’s telling Sam to get your bag as she takes you by the arm to give you a tour of their home.  Their home that is like ten times the size of yours, all new and gorgeous. 

 

When she’s finished, she meets up with the men who are watching college football and having a beer.  Sarah announces she’s going to start dinner and you immediately offer to help, you still feel bad being an unannounced guest in their home. 

 

Later on, you and Sam are in the guest room. Sarah and Greg went to their room for the night too. 

 

You slip off your flats and take off your jeans, then start unpacking your suitcase.  

 

“Did you get to talk to your father at all these past few days?” 

 

He gives a shrug and unbuttons his shirt, “Not much to say. When he is awake, Sarah talks mostly, think she’s trying to help relieve the obvious tension between us.”

 

You listen and glance at him as he talks while you move between your suitcase and dresser.  When he undoes his last button, he grabs your hand and pulls you into him. He grins at the shy smile you have on. 

 

He loves how your hands slip into his open shirt, roaming along his bare chest and abdomen. He runs his hands over the lace of your panties at your rear. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he guides you between his legs as he looks up at you. His hands caress the back of your thighs. 

 

“I never did thank you for coming. I know I told you not to, but to be honest, it means a lot.”

 

You grasp his bearded chin gently, tipping his head back just a teeny bit more and run your other hand lovingly through his hair. 

 

When you start leaning down, his hands grip your thighs. You slowly mold your lips to his and kiss him good. He abandons one of your legs to slide his hand into your hair, keeping you close as his tongue finds yours. You grasp his face as you pull away after a couple of minutes and you don’t rush as you press kisses to his lips between stroking his cheeks. 

 

You feel him pull gently on your thigh and you follow his lead, kneeling on the bed on either side of his thighs.  Arms going around his neck, he hasn’t stopping looking at you as your butt meets his lap. 

 

“I missed you.”

 

Now he slides his hands along the outside of your thighs, fingers slipping under your panties by your ass. 

 

With his shirt open, you push away the fabric by his shoulder and place a string of kisses from his neck to his shoulder, mumbling ‘I missed you too’ against his warm skin. The shirt falls on that side and he slips his arm out. You repeat the same action along his other shoulder and when the shirt falls off, he slips his other arm out. 

 

Cupping his jaw to hold him still, you start kissing his neck on the other side. You feel the rumble at his jaw from when he groans from your actions.  As you nibble his earlobe, he starts sliding your shirt up. 

 

“We can’t,” you giggle against his ear as you reach back and grab his wrists. 

 

“Tell me you’re jokin’,” he huskily groans. 

 

“They’re right down the hall.”

 

“And how’s this different from when we’re at home?” he purrs against your neck as he rubs his beard against your skin, soft lips brushing lightly. 

 

And he’s right. You two have gotten pretty good at keeping relatively quiet what with Maggie only a few doors down. But still, you just met his sister. If there’s even a chance she hears you, you’d be mortified. 

 

“Because I just met them. I don’t want them thinking I’m a hussy or something.”

 

“A hussy?” he looks at you with a chuckle as he brushes some hair from your face. 

 

“You know what I mean,” nudging his chest with an amused smirk. 

 

He kisses your jaw with a laugh, “I can’t make any promises to you on this rule you’re making.”

 

“You’ll have to try.”

 

The sound of your ringtone for Maggie goes off. 

 

“Saved by the bell,” you grin as you kiss him and get off his lap. He shakes his head with a grin as he leans forward on his knees and runs his hands down his face. 

 

You speak to Maggie as Sam stands up and moves your suitcase from the bed to the floor, next to his. Tucking the phone between your shoulder and ear, you cross your arms grabbing the hem of your shirt and pulling up, as you get to your chest you hold the phone again and using one hand to pull it over your head. 

 

Sam tosses his shirt onto the armchair in the corner and takes off his shoes, followed by his belt. 

 

Maggie updates you on Mo and school. Also, any town gossip. 

 

You repeat your actions to unclasp your bra and take it off, placing it on the dresser. You see Sam looking at you from the corner of your eye and you shake your head with a smirk. You grab a tank top and pull it over your head as Sam pulls off his jeans, leaving him in his boxer briefs. 

 

“She wants to talk to you,” you hold your hand over the receiver part as you hand it to him. 

 

Slipping under the sheets, you can tell from his side of the conversation that she said she was sorry about his dad and was telling him about her latest basketball game. When they exchanged goodbyes, he handed you the phone back. You told your sister goodnight and placed your phone on the nightstand.  

 

Sam gets into bed next to you and leans over you, kissing you softly.  Soon enough the kissing gets more heated and you’re starting to grind your hips up against his. 

 

“Looking to break your own rule already?” he quickly mumbles against your lips. 

 

“You’re right,” you breathe as you twist under him to remove your underwear, “It was a stupid rule.”

 

As he moves on top of you, you nudge him back and he maneuvers so he’s on his back and you’re on top. Your hands pin his to the bed as you lace your fingers with his, your hips rolling back and forth against him.  Looking down at him, your hair curtains around your faces; every now and then he presses his head back against the pillow, eyes squeezed shut. You see the veins in his neck more as he tries to keep his groans quiet. 

 

When he can, he lifts his head up to kiss whatever skin of yours he can reach. It’s not long before you let one of his hands go and start holding onto the back of his head as he presses his face up and against your collarbone.  Before you get louder, he pushes against your hand and sits up. 

 

“Shh, shh, shh,” he quickly manages to get out before kissing your already parted lips. The fabric of your tank top is bunched up in his fist at your back.  

 

You pull away from his lips and he quickly covers your mouth just as you sound off at the feeling below. He presses his forehead against yours and breathes harshly through his nose in an attempt to stop his own vocals. 

 

Both of you breathless as you come back down from it, he moves his hand from your mouth to comb through your hair as you scratch his beard tenderly with both hands. 

 

“Maybe the rule should still stand,” you blush as you breathe it out. 

 

“I’m still against it,” he says breathlessly, with a smirk. 

 

You hug him and smile against his ear before kissing it. He holds onto your back and lays back down with you laying on top of him. 

 

Within a few minutes, you’re both asleep. 


	11. Chapter 11

The next night the four of you are around the table drinking coffee after dinner. 

 

Looking to Sarah, “Do you happen to have any baby pictures of Sam?” 

 

“Really?” he asks you, an amused grin on. 

 

You look at him and nod with a big smile on. Sarah claps her hands once, “Why yes I do! So glad you reminded me.” She leaves the room and Greg laughs at the situation. 

 

Sarah comes back with two photo albums and pulls her chair up next to yours, as does Sam. He slips his arm between you and the back of the chair to reach around and rest his hand on the outside of your thigh. 

 

“Oh my god!” you laugh at seeing a toddler Sam with a cowboy hat on and little cowboy boots. 

 

“Far cry from the brooding, bearded man he is today, right?” Sarah laughs. 

 

“I’m not brooding.” 

 

“Yeah, not anymore. Thanks to this one,” Greg indicates towards you. 

 

Sam admits, “Fair enough,” as you briefly hold his chin to kiss his cheek. 

 

Sam and Sarah and their mother were a cute, happy little family. They pointed out how she handmade their Halloween costumes and always baked their birthday cakes. As they get older in the pictures, you see an older teenage Sam whose face now resembles more closely that of the man next to you. 

 

“So, this is you without a beard,” you never saw him without it. 

 

“Handsome, right?” Sarah asks, she secretly wishes he’d shave that beard off. 

 

“You like that?” he squeezes your thigh. 

 

“You do look incredibly handsome,” you look at the picture. Then you turn to him, “But you still look incredibly handsome with this too,” and you run your fingertips along his beard. 

 

He kisses you quick then kisses your temple.

 

When their father starts showing back up in pictures, you notice Sam is never next to him and he doesn’t smile as much as in the older pictures. Sarah still does, but not your Sam.

 

It must be too much for him because all of a sudden Sam’s kissing your head and excusing himself from the table. You all watch as he opens the sliding door and steps out into the backyard. 

 

Sarah sighs, “I should have expected that.”

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think about how he’d react.”

 

“No, no. Not your fault at all. He just has things he needs to work out,” and she stands up with the photo album, “Hopefully before it’s too late.” 

 

“What about this one?” you touch the second album. 

 

“It’s Sam’s. Let him be the one to share it with you,” and she says it with a small smile before her and Greg head to bed. 

 

Sam’s not visible outside from the table so you stand up and head out back to find him. He’s sitting on the bench on their back porch. 

 

He glances at you when he hears the door and he glances at the floor in front of him almost shamefully. 

 

“Sorry,” he offers.

 

You take a seat next to him, “You don’t need to apologize. I’m sorry for asking to see old pictures without realizing.” 

 

He shakes his head and looks at you, “Don’t be. I thought I’d be okay when we got to those.” 

 

Then there’s a lull. He doesn’t say any more and you’re almost afraid to say anything yourself, but you bite the bullet. 

 

“You know, you still haven’t said how you’re doing with all this.” 

 

“What do you mean?” 

 

“I ask and you talk about Sarah or your father. Never you and your feelings.” 

 

“What should I say?” and he looks at the ground with a shake of his head, “That I’m still angry from over 20 years ago? That I want nothing to do with him? But yet I’m actually starting to think I’ll miss him?” 

 

He sounds so lost and so confused that you can’t help but well up. 

 

“Yes,” you rub the back of his neck. 

 

His voice gets softer, “You have any idea what it was like to have your dad just abandon you when you’re eight years old?” 

 

You don’t answer because it’s not necessary too. 

 

He runs a hand down his beard before looking at you. 

 

“You feel like you must have been such a horrible kid for your own father to want to have nothing to do with you.  You feel like an outcast when every other kid has both parents at sports games and you only have one. You have some moron kids teasing you about being a sissy because you’re being raised by a mom only.” 

 

And you hate that you have tears falling down your face, but you hate even more that he does too.

 

“But you deal with all of it. You appreciate your mom ten times more for doing what she’s doing because you know she probably has her own shit she’s dealing with from other parents whispering. You get used to his sorry ass being gone only for him to come knocking on the door one night. Flowers for Ma, asking for forgiveness. The next morning, we come down and he’s still there. Mom’s telling us we’re a family again, just like that.” 

 

He uses his thumb and forefinger to swipe at his eyes, “Sarah was hesitant but she saw how happy Ma was and she slowly accepted him back. But see she didn’t hear our own mother crying almost every night for a year after he left. I never forgot that. So, no, I couldn’t forgive him. Couldn’t stand he was just welcomed back like that.”

 

You reach out and hold his hand, pulling it into your lap. 

 

“I just wanted a dad. I didn’t have one to teach me how to shave or how to drive or even how to tie a tie,” he shakes his head again, “And yet as much as I hate him, somewhere deep down I’m almost afraid to lose him again,” and more tears fall from his brown eyes. 

 

You cradle his face and wipe his tears from his cheeks with your thumbs, “You have every right to be angry with him. Every single right,” you kiss the bridge of his nose, then look at him again, “But you owe that adorable eight-year-old boy the chance to tell your father all this and try to help yourself heal before you don’t have that chance anymore.” 

 

You know he heard you, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead he’s using the back of his finger to wipe away your tears. He gently takes your wrists and pulls your hands from his face. Holding your wrists with one hand, he cups your cheek and kisses you softly. 

 

“Thank you,” he says before kissing you again. 

 

After staying outside a little longer, you both head back inside. On the way to your bedroom you grab the photo album on the table. 

 

As you both get ready for bed, you hold it up and ask him what Sarah meant. 

 

“Those are from my rodeo days.” 

 

He settles against the headboard and motions for you to sit between his legs, which you do. Together you look through it, and Sam tells you stories behind a few of them. 


	12. Chapter 12

The next day at the hospital, Sam asks if he could talk to their father alone for a little bit. 

 

Sarah looks confused, but also hopeful as she takes Greg’s hand and stands up. You rub Sam’s forearm as you walk past him. 

 

The three of you go get coffee in the cafeteria. 

 

Sam pulls his chair close to the bedside and he swears his father looks a little apprehensive. 

 

“Sammy, my boy,” he speaks, voice weak.

 

“I’m still so angry with what you did,” he calmly explains to the elderly man. 

 

“Believe me, I know. It’s not that hard to tell.”

 

And Sam begins to tell him what he told you. The older Rossi has tears falling as he listens to the emotional damage he caused his son. Sam wipes the tears from his own eyes as he adds more. 

 

“And then I’m out there, trying to make a name for myself. Trying to add something to my last name to actually be proud of instead of only associating it with you, and you couldn’t even attempt to understand.”

 

“I just wanted you to be something even better. You could only go so far with a career like that. You were so much smarter than that.”

 

“That’s not what you said when you were telling me how stupid I was, how I was wasting my life,” Sam shakes his head in buried anger.

 

His father sighs, “You’re right.”

 

“You never even saw how good I was,” Sam adds on, “I wasn’t some unknown.” 

 

“I did,” his father quietly responds. 

 

“...What?” 

 

“I did see you, Sammy. I went to every single competition you had in Virginia. Stayed in the back, out of sight. Figured you’d be mad to see me there.” 

 

“You’re lying,” Sam’s brows knit together as he sits back a little, confusion settling on him as he hears his father’s words.

 

“I’m not,” and he starts naming some competitions and how Sam placed, “I didn’t agree with what you were doing, but I tell ya, I couldn’t have been more proud of you,” he shares through tears. He reaches for Sam’s hand and Sam takes it. 

 

Sam’s tears fall to the floor as his father tells him, “I love you. You can hate me for the rest of your life, but just know that I never hated you. I’m so sorry for what I did, Sammy, but I can’t go back and fix it as much as I wish I could.”

 

After a good amount of time had passed, the three of you headed back to the room. You all saw Sam leaning over and hugging his bedridden father.  

 

Sarah burst into tears at the sight and hugged her husband. You covered your mouth as a few sobs came from you too. The tears on both Sam’s and his father’s face evidence that something healing had happened. 

 

Greg rubs his wife’s back before she’s pulling back, wiping at her face. She enters the room and though you can’t hear them, she’s hugging both of them and you realize how much Sarah needed this to happen too. 

 

You and Greg give them a few minutes to themselves before entering the room again. Sarah’s talking to her father and Sam opens an arm to you. 

 

You hug him, “I’m so proud of you,” you whisper. 

 

He just holds the back of your head and kisses your cheek, “You helped get me here, so thank you.”

 

\----

 

That night, Sam was telling you what his father had said and you were crying because you could just see how much better Sam felt. 

 

When there was a knock on your door, you quickly wiped your tears and Sam threw on his jeans before opening the door to find Greg standing there. 

 

“I’m sorry, but Sarah’s upset and Sam, I think it’s best if you talk to her.”

 

Sam grabs his shirt and throws you a glance before following Greg down the hall. You get out of bed and pull on some leggings, waiting for Sam’s return. 

 

He walks to the doorway a few minutes later, he looks a little uncomfortable as he rubs the back of his neck, “Would you mind helping me talk to her? She’s just really upset about him dying,” but you get the feeling it’s more than that. 

 

‘Yeah, of course.”

 

You find her crying on her bed, Greg standing near the closet. 

 

Sam explains how she feels scared about eventually having no parents. 

 

Sarah looks at you, tears streaming down her face, “How did you handle it? How’d you end up being okay?” 

 

And it feels like a punch to your gut. No one’s asked you that before. And you definitely don’t feel like you’re in any position to give out advice. But you also feel for her because you’ve been there under different circumstances and god, do you wish you had someone to ask that same question to. 

 

Sam sits on one side of her while you sit down on the other. 

 

“To be honest, I’m still not okay. It’s hard...really hard to deal with,” and you actually get annoyed with yourself at how quick you tear up already. 

 

“You need to lean on each other,” looking between her and Sam, “You have no idea how lucky you are to have him. I had Maggie but she was too young to fully understand what happened; I couldn’t sit with her and share my fears with her.” 

 

And it hits Sam how just like he never really opened up about his father before, you never opened up about what you went through after your parents died. His heart breaks as you sit there, tears down your face, as you try to help his sister. 

 

“I feel like...like we’ll be orphans or something, as crazy as that sounds,” Sarah wipes at tears only for more to replace them.

 

“I know, so did I. I still do a lot of the time,” you wipe tears from your cheeks.

 

His heart breaks for you. He can’t even comfort you with his sister in between you both. 

 

“You poor thing, and you had to raise your sister on top of it all. No one to help you?” And then suddenly, she’s focusing on you. You don’t know if it’s some way of helping her cope by realizing how much harder it was for you. 

 

“Um, no. All our family lived too far away, couldn’t stay long to help me. I just figured things out along the way.” 

 

“What do you do though, when you need advice that you feel like only they can give?” 

 

And you shrug, with a tearful smile, “I try to think back to how they were, what they might say.”

 

Sarah quickly turns to her brother, “We need to ask him things, Sam, things we may need help with later in life. Advice we can try to remember,” but Sam’s eyes stay on you a few seconds longer. His sister is emotional and panicking and you’re starting to lose it yourself. 

 

You quickly and quietly excuse yourself before you leave the room. Covering your mouth, you stifle your sobs until you’re back in your own room. You walk into the attached bathroom and sit on the edge of the tub as you cry into your hands. 

 

Sam motions for Greg to comfort Sarah as he rushes after you. He walks into the room and hears your cries from the bathroom.

 

He kneels down on one knee and places a hand on your leg as he smooths the other over your hair. 

 

You drop your hands and look at him, absolutely heartbroken, “I can’t remember what they sounded like, or how my mom smelled,” his hands cradle your face sweetly, “I miss them, Sam, every day. I miss them so much,” you tearfully explain.

 

He tears up at how upset you are and he wishes that he could just heal your heart forever. 

 

He stands up to take a seat next to you then he’s pulling you into his lap. He cradles the back of your head, “I know you do, sweetheart.” 

 

He holds you close, kissing your face and wiping your tears until you have nothing left in you. 


	13. Chapter 13

You wake up before Sam and it’s so early. After the emotional night you all had, all you wanted was some coffee and to just breathe a little. 

 

Sam held you all night and let you talk about your parents as long as you wanted. You didn’t want to wake him up. But you still let your fingers run through his hair a bit and place a couple kisses to his face. 

 

Quietly you head downstairs, but you already smell freshly brewed coffee. As you turn into the kitchen, there’s Sarah sitting at the table, mindlessly staring ahead with a cup of coffee in front of her. She’s still in her matching pajama set, her hair carelessly tossed up, no makeup.  

 

At the sound of your footsteps, she looks over at you and instantly she looks sheepish.

 

“Hi,” she greets quietly, so unlike her normal self. 

 

“Hi, you feeling any better?” You stand frozen in your spot. 

 

“Yeah, a bit. Thank you. I just got overwhelmed with everything,” she looks down at her coffee, fingers playing with the handle of the mug. She looks back at you, “I want to apologize for last night. I never, ever meant to make you so upset. I had no right forcing you to talk about your parents just to try and help myself,” and she’s so genuine in her sentiment and looks so upset. 

 

“Please, you don’t have to apologize,” and you move, taking the seat next to her, “You didn’t force me to talk about them. I wouldn’t have if I didn’t want to,” you take a breath, “I just haven’t had the chance to really talk about them like that before and I became a little overwhelmed myself.” 

 

“So, we’re okay?” 

 

“Yeah,” you give her a smile, “we’re okay.” And she hugs you.

 

“You want a cup of coffee? We can sit out back; the sun rising is gorgeous from back there.” 

 

With a nod, you get yourself a cup of coffee and you both go out, sitting on the same bench where Sam had told you his feelings about his father only a couple nights earlier. 

 

“I just want to say, that I’ve never seen Sam so happy and so loving before, honestly. You are so good for him,” she smiles. 

 

“Thank you. He’s good for me too,” you blush and grin.

 

“He’s admired you for so long. When he talked about you when you two first got together, I could tell from just his voice how much he loved you.”

 

“Admired me? What do you mean?” 

 

“Don’t tell him I told you because I’ll hear about it from him. But when Maggie and him got closer, he would always rave about her; what a great kid she is, how talented she is at basketball,” and that alone makes you smile, “but every single time, he’d end it by saying how wonderful of a job you were doing. How he admires so much what you did for her and how great you’ve done.” 

 

Knowing that Sam was thinking that about you for a lot longer than you knew, it made your heart beat harder for him. 

 

Sarah laughs, “I actually did tease him a couple times that he had a crush on you,” and you laugh too. 

 

“He loves Maggie a lot. And he so quite obviously loves you so much too.” 

 

And almost on cue, Sam opens the back door, one of his button-down shirts hanging open on his muscular frame. 

 

“Am I interrupting?” he questions.

 

“Not at all,” Sarah waves him over, “Oh Sam, your hair,” she laughs. And you laugh too seeing it sticking up in places from sleeping, but you’re used to seeing his bedhead. 

 

“Yeah? And how’s this any better?” he smirks when he playfully gives her disheveled ponytail a tug as he passes her to sit next to you. 

 

“Mornin’,” he mumbles into your hair as he pulls you against his side. You smile and turn into him, running your hand through his mussed-up hair. Seeing you smile at it though makes him so happy after you crying last night. He interrupts your actions to kiss you. You slide your hand into his shirt and caress his pec briefly before he slowly pulls away. 

 

“The rule, baby,” he whispers so only you hear as he stops your hand. When your cheeks turn pink, he smiles and dips his head to press a quick kiss to your neck. 

 

\---

 

Unfortunately, later that day their father passed away. But his children were by his side the whole time. The wake and funeral are held in the following days and you stay by Sam’s side.  You also can’t help but noticed just how handsome he looks in a black suit and tie.  

 

Sarah holds a small get together of mostly her and Greg’s friends and coworkers back at their house after the funeral. It’s uncomfortable not knowing anyone and Sam feels the same. At one point, he takes your hand and escapes with you to the bedroom.

 

“Good call,” you say as you plop onto the edge of the bed. You smooth the skirt of the black dress you had packed in preparation for this day. 

 

“One of the worst parts of funerals,” he utters, taking a seat next to you. 

 

“I know you hate ties, but you really do look good in them,” you smirk as you give it a gentle tug.  He chuckles as he looks down at it, toying with the end a bit. 

 

“Though I still prefer you with a little chest showing,” you wink with a blushing smirk. 

 

“Funny,” he says as he cups your cheek, “That’s how I prefer you too,” he teases with a grin that only gets bigger as your mouth falls open and you playfully squeeze his thigh, giggling yourself. 

 

He pulls you in for a kiss mid-giggle, and he kisses you so sweetly that you melt right into him. Your hand playing with the slight curls at the nape of his neck. 

 

When the kiss ends, he nuzzles his nose against yours before pulling back enough to look at you, “I am so in love with you,” he breathes in such a tender voice, the most loving grin on his face. 

 

You lean into his touch as you smile softly, still not used to having such a person care for you and love you as much as he does. 

 

Turning into his hand briefly, you kiss his palm before leaning forward and kissing him deeply. When you pull back, you rest your forehead against his and slide your hand up the back of his head, into his hair.

 

\---

 

Sam’s sitting on the edge of the tub, towel draped over his bare shoulders as you stand in front of him, trimming his hair. 

 

Dressed in a bra and panties, you’re wearing his denim button down, unbuttoned, with the sleeves rolled up. Sam’s hands haven’t left your skin since you started. 

 

“You think Rosie and Lenny can handle the motel a few more days?” you ask as you concentrate on your task. 

 

Sam’s been holding you close as you stand between his knees, getting lost in caressing your legs and sensually pressing kisses to your stomach. His hands roam over the curve of your ass as his lips brush over your navel, “Hmm,” he hums to indicate he heard you, “Why? What’re you thinkin’?” he softly responds against your stomach, almost in a daze, as his teeth scrape near your hip. 

 

When you go to jerk your hip back from the tickling of his beard and teeth, he holds you firm; you feel his lips spread into a quick grin against your skin, beard hair making you want to jerk away again, before he presses a kiss there. 

 

“Sam,” you hiss but still give a short laugh as you shake your head, “I was thinking maybe we could drive back home instead of fly. It’s a three-day trip if we were to go straight through but maybe…” 

 

“Maybe we could take our time a little bit,” he finishes your thought as he looks up at you causing you to pause the cutting. The grin on his face lets you know he likes the idea. 

 

“Yeah,” you confirm with a smile, leaning down to kiss him. 

 

You move to stand in the tub behind him to trim the back. He grunts when he can’t reach you anymore making you laugh.

 

“I don’t think they’ll mind. I’ll even pay ‘em a bit extra.”

 

At his words, it reminds you that you need to tell him something still. Finishing his trim, you come back around to face him and place the comb and scissor on one side of the bathroom counter.  You gather up the towel around his neck and dump the pieces of hair in the trash before hugging the towel to your body. 

 

“I need to tell you something.”

 

He sits up more and places his hands on his knees. Eyebrows knitted in curiosity, “What is it?” 

 

With a deep breath, “I couldn’t actually make it work at the diner with time off and I got fired,” and you watch as he goes to say something but you nervously, and quickly, continue, “I will look for a new job as soon as we get back,” and he stands up, walking up to you as you keep talking, “But don’t be mad, because I’m not. I wanted to be here…” and he grips your hips and lifts you up, seating you on the bathroom counter, next to the sink. Leaning on his hands on either side of you, he kisses you as you’re mid-sentence. 

 

That manages to shut you up and look at him in question.

 

“Why are you nervous? We’ll make it work, we’ll be okay.” 

 

You kiss his jaw as you go to hug him, one of his hands on your back.  He turns his face and kisses your cheek before you’re pulling back, hands sliding slowly down his bare chest as you glance at your lap before meeting his eyes. 

 

“I didn’t want you to get upset since you kept telling me not to take time off. And I also don’t want you to worry about me not making my half of the mortgage payments and everything else,” you confess quietly. 

 

“I’m not upset at all and I’m definitely not worried. I could pay for everything for all I care.” 

 

“Oh my god, Sam. No.” 

 

“And why not?” 

 

“Because I’ve been able to handle it since I was 20 years old.” 

 

“Yeah, you have. So why not let someone else take over for a bit?”

 

You feel a lump form in your throat at his words. 

 

“I...I couldn’t ever let you do that. I would never ask you to do that.” 

 

He brushes some hair behind your ear, before dragging the back of his finger down your face. 

 

“I know you wouldn’t. You’re so used to doing things on your own, you don’t know what it’s like to have someone be there for you and take care of you,” and a tear falls from the corner of your eye at that, one that he wipes away before continuing, “Well I want to. I want to take care of you.”

 

You wipe another tear away as a small, loving smile appears on your face. 

 

“You do, every day. Just being with me and listening to me and holding me; you’ve been showing me what it’s like to have someone be there for me since Maggie started working for you, I just didn’t truly realize it then.” 

 

He slides his hand along your jaw, until his hand is holding the side of your face, “I didn’t realize it either to be honest. All I knew was that she had one beautiful, smart, capable sister whose smile I never wanted to see go away...so I did what I could to make it stay.”

 

“ _Sam_ ,” you whine so quiet at him because now you have more than two tears rolling down your cheeks.

 

He gives you a small grin before he’s grasping your face, thumbs wiping your tears. You tenderly grip his forearms, your own thumbs caressing his skin. 

 

He looks from your wet cheeks to into your eyes at the feel of your touch. 

 

And just as he had proclaimed to you a couple nights earlier, you give him that cute smile of yours, “Samuel Rossi, I am so in love with you,” and your tone is soft and so full of pure love. 

 

And _his_ smile appears, the one that you love so much. 

 

You both lean into each other, both equally yearning for something more than hands on skin, and your lips meet as a kiss so loving and deep follows. 

 

His hands start at your lower back but slide up. Eventually they move in separate directions as he embraces you, sliding you forward as he pulls you into a snug hug against his chest, lips never parting from yours. You wrap your arms around him to accommodate and you pull away from his mouth, not even a half inch away, only to catch your breath. 

 

Noses still touching, both of you set your eyes on the other’s before gazing down or closing them briefly and then they’re back on the other’s again. 

 

Sam moves first, lifting his face just enough to kiss the side of your nose, then your cupid’s bow before his lips are back on yours. 

 

Feeling you shifting, his hold loosens. Without breaking the kiss, you blindly find his belt and unbuckle it, then pull the zipper of his jeans down. That rule you tried to implement never stuck so he knows where this is heading. Or so he thought because once he feels your hand slip into his boxers, wrapping around him, an involuntarily moan comes from his throat causing him to pull away and press his forehead to yours. 

 

Through a strained voice caused by your moving hand, he teasingly questions, “What are you doing?” 

 

With your other hand, you place your hand on his cheek and, keeping his face close, start placing sweet kisses along the other side of his face, “Nothing you won’t enjoy,” you give a tiny smirk. 

 

His hands have anchored to the countertop on either side of your spread thighs. 

 

Due to a groan, his lips part - enough for you to ever so lightly close your lips on his top one in a hint of a kiss. You then make a trail of them along his bearded jaw, all while stroking his cheek on the other side. 

 

He closes his mouth to give a deep rumble of a moan as your hand moves a little faster. Reaching his ear, you whisper little encouragements to him, which turn him on even more. Sam grips the side of your thigh as your lips brush his ear with each seductive word. 

 

The small jerk of his hips makes you kiss below his ear before moving to kiss his lips. He kisses you rougher than normal due to the circumstances. 

 

His hips give another small jerk and now the hand on your thigh moves to gently grab the back of your head, holding you against his own as he has to move from your lips as more deep sounds fall from his. 

 

You kiss the corner of his parted lips and start urging him on quietly until he emits something close to a growl of satisfaction. 

 

He leans on his hands more and almost hangs his head as he catches his breath. You smile as you withdraw your hand and turn to wash your hands in the sink next to you. 

 

Before you even turn the water off, Sam’s kissing your neck that’s visible. 

 

“You’re something else,” he says in such a rough, sexy voice that you shiver. Quickly you dry your hands on the towel laying next to you before turning back to him. 

 

He turns the faucet back on and you give him a questioning look. He quickly fastens his pants and belt back up, “You’re louder than me,” he answers matter-of-factly. 

 

You watch as he also shuts the bathroom door all the way before coming back to you. The air in your lungs feels fleeting as you see his eyes. 

 

Hunger. 

 

“What do you mean?” you manage to ask though you think you know.

 

He kneels down in front of you, hands grabbing your thighs and pulling you forward to the edge before he’s spreading them.  Already your sliding a hand into his hair in preparation. 

 

“Your turn.” 


	14. Chapter 14

Sarah suggested the four of you all go do something that didn’t include crying or hospitals since this trip has been an emotional one to say the least.

 

The four of you are piled into Greg’s SUV with plans to go to a local brewery. First stop though is Hills Stables; she needs to pay the owner for Hannah’s riding lessons starting in the fall. 

 

Looking to Sam, you give his knee a squeeze, “This is where you worked in high school, right? Where you learned to ride?”

 

Sam throws you a shy smile at the fact you remembered that. He reaches over and massages the back of your neck briefly, “Yeah it is. Spent a lot of time here.”

 

“The owner, Pete, showed him everything he knows,” Sarah added. 

 

Greg parks on the dirt road next to the barn and you see the horses grazing from the window. 

 

“God, they’re so beautiful,” you say in wonderment. 

 

“You ever seen one up close?” Sam has to ask due to your reaction. 

 

Blushing you look back at him, “Not since I was a kid.” 

 

“Let’s fix that then,” Sam exits the backseat and Sarah smiles big as she exits the front seat. 

 

Sam comes around and opens your door, he leans on the opened door and sticks his other hand out to you, “Come on. ‘Bout time you pet a horse again.” 

 

Laughing, you take his hand and get out of the car. 

 

“Let me go pay Pete and let him know you’re here,” Sarah pats his arm as she heads towards Pete’s office. 

 

Sam heads over to the wooden post fence with you. He lets your hand go and leans on his arms on the fence. He makes a clicking sound out of the corner of his mouth and the closest horse, an amber colored beauty, moseys over. 

 

“Hey girl,” Sam says softly to her as he slowly runs a hand down her forehead. You’re in awe at how attuned he is with her. 

 

He looks at you and pulls you in front of him so you’re between him and the fence. With his right arm wrapped around your waist, he uses his left hand to take yours and he guides your hand to the horse’s forehead. Slowly and gently he holds your hand and pets her with it. 

 

“Just like that,” he whispers to you. He lets your hand go, leaving you to pet her by yourself. He kisses the back of your head.

 

They’re such powerful creatures, but yet are so gentle, and you realize it’s no wonder Sam was drawn to them. He’s the same way.

 

He glances at you and sees the smile on your face, hears the soft way you talk to her, and he smiles himself. 

 

Hearing footsteps approaching, you stop petting her and both of you turn to see Sarah and an older man, Pete, walk over. 

 

Pete looks at Sam like a proud father, and somewhere inside you feel relief - Sam grew up with a father figure after all. 

 

“Please Miss, don’t stop on my account,” and he lifts his Stetson off his head momentarily in greeting, “Hazel here loves the attention.” 

 

“This is Pete,” Sam tells you, then turns to Pete giving him your name and informing him that you’re his girlfriend which makes you smile to yourself to hear it out loud like that.

 

Pete shakes your hand, “Honor to meet you Miss. Sam’s a good man, any woman who has his heart must be something special.”

 

“That’s very kind of you, thank you,” you give a small nod with blushed cheeks. 

 

Pete nods then looks at Sam, opening his arms, “Come here, boy.”

 

Sam chuckles and moves to hug Pete, each clapping the other on the back a couple of times before letting go. 

 

“Like I told your sister, here, I’m sorry about your Pop. I know things weren’t great with you two, but you still have my condolences.”

 

“Thanks, Pete. ‘Preciate it.”

 

“So, Hazel seems to have taken a liking to your girl,” and you all look over to see Hazel hasn’t left your side. 

 

“Think you wanna show her how to ride?” Pete throws to Sam.

 

You can’t help but smile at the suggestion. 

 

Sam responds a few seconds later, “Yeah, I think I will.” 

 

Pete smiles big, “Atta boy.” 

 

Pete turns to you and motions towards the stables entrance, “Come on, I’ll show ya how we saddle ‘em up.”

 

You give Sam’s arm a squeeze and follow Pete the short distance to the stables. 

 

Once you’re out of earshot, Sarah turns to Sam concerned, “You sure this is a good idea?” She knows he hasn’t been back on a horse since around the time he got hurt all those years ago. 

 

Sam nods, “Yeah it is, because that…” and he looks towards you where you’re laughing at something Pete said, him laughing too, “...that smile of hers, is worth everything.”

 

Sarah looks at him with a smirk. Sam turns back to her and raises a brow at her expression.

 

“You don’t lose her, Sam. Because she is the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” 

 

He chuckles shyly and looks back over at you, “Yeah, she is.”

 

Sarah rubs his back before going to get Greg. Sam makes his way over to you and Pete, where Hazel is all saddled up and ready to go. 

 

Pete claps Sam’s shoulder, “You take the lead, cowboy.”

 

Pete tips his hat to you before going to set up Sarah and Greg with horses. 

 

“Let’s get you up there first, yeah?” 

 

Sam shows you how to mount up, by patting each piece of the saddle he mentions.

 

“You hold onto the horn with your left hand, put your left foot in the stirrup here, then pull yourself up using the cantle. When you get up, swing your right leg over.”

 

“I really don’t think I’m tall enough to do that,” you laugh. 

 

Sam laughs, “Probably not. That’s why I’m gonna give ya a boost.” 

 

You manage to grab the horn and canter, but once you get your foot in the stirrup, you can tell you’re too off balance to even attempt to get up. 

 

“When’s this boost come into play?” 

 

“When I’m done admiring the view,” Sam jokes, but his eyes are on your ass that’s on perfect display in this position. 

 

“Oh my god,” you laugh and take your foot out of the stirrup to face him. He laughs and grabs your hips, kissing your forehead. 

 

“Alright, get your foot back in there,” and he gives your butt a little pat. 

 

Getting back into position, you feel Sam grip your other leg and help you get up onto the saddle.  Once you’re up there, Sam hoists himself up with ease, sitting right behind you.

 

He reaches around and pulls you back flush against his chest. Then he’s reaching around you, looking over your shoulder, “Okay, pick up the reins here and here,” and he motions to the two spots which you pick up. Sam’s hands then cover yours. 

 

“Ready?” you hear him ask.

 

“Yes.” 

 

And with that, Sam gives Hazel a little kick and he’s controlling your hands on the reins as she trots out of the stable and towards the gate that Pete is holding open. 

 

Sam has the horse trot up the path outside the gate for a good bit first. 

 

The path goes through some woods and every plant is flourishing and so vibrantly green. It’s peaceful and quiet save for the few noises of birds and animals deep inside. 

 

“I love this so much. I can see why you got into it,” you turn your head slightly so he can hear you.

 

“It was a nice escape from the shit at home.”

 

He feels you lean back a little more into him and he knows it’s the only way you can comfort him in this position. 

 

Sam shares more details about learning to ride and his entrance into the rodeo circuit. When you eventually start heading back, Sam has Hazel speed up into a slow gallop. 

 

It’s invigorating and such a thrill of sorts to be on the back of such an animal, full view of the world in front of you as you move faster than you could walk. 

 

When you ride up to the stables, Pete is smiling at the joy on both you and Sam’s faces. He opens the gate.

 

“Good time?” He asks.

 

“Great time,” you answer with a big smile. 

 

Sam trots her back into the stables and dismounts first. He instructs you on how to do it too and helps you as you do. 

 

You feel the burn of your muscles at your thighs. And immediately you think of how he must feel then. 

 

As he places her saddle on a haystack, you grab his forearm when he walks back to you.

 

“Baby, you’re going to be in a lot of pain,” nothing but concern in your voice. 

 

“Did you have fun?” He asks, seeming to ignore your statement. 

 

“I had the best time,” you answer softly with a hint of a smile. 

 

“Then it’s worth it,” and he places a hand on the back of your head, pulling you closer as he kisses between your eyes. His hand slides down to the middle of your back as you wrap your arms around his torso. 

 

“Well then maybe I’ll have to just keep you in bed tomorrow,” you smirk, “make sure you rest.”

 

“I think you’re right,” he furrows his brow in mock thought before he has a soft smile on his face.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Road Trip, Part 1
> 
> So the road trip portions of this story are going to be written a little differently, more of a vignette style.

****Bridgeport, West Virginia** **

 

“Nancy Drew,” you blush with a laugh. You take the tomatoes off your burger and place them on Sam’s waiting one. Once you finish the transfer, he puts the bun back on. 

 

“That’s what you wanted to be when you grew up?” he gives an amused smirk, before taking a bite.

 

You left Virginia several hours ago. Dinner is fast food that you’re both enjoying in the rental car in the parking lot of the food joint. 

 

“It’s the first thing I can remember wanting to be. You see our town, imagine growing up there,” you pull a fry out of the bag sitting between you and take a bite, “Nothing to do, nowhere to go. So reading Nancy Drew was like opening up this whole new world,” and you motion in the air with the french fry, “All of a sudden the woods we’d play in and the people we’d see, they became mysteries and suspects,” you laugh before popping the rest of the fry into your mouth. 

 

“And little you wanted to solve it all,” Sam states with a grin. 

 

“I did,” you confirm, still with pink cheeks, “What about you?” and you take a bite of your burger. 

 

“Alright,” he grabs a fry and eats it, “If we’re going with who we wanted to be…Steve McQueen.”

 

“Nice!” you laugh with a sincere smile, “Motorcycle?” you question as his reason.

 

Sam nods, “Oh, you know it.” He takes another bite of his burger. 

 

Sipping your drink, “Okay, so the first job I wanted to have….” you think on it, biting at the end of your straw in thought, “Oh! A thief.” you look at him for his reaction, a smile on your face.

 

He laughs at the unexpected answer and looks at you, “I don’t know if that counts.”

 

“Why not? It may not be a typical job, but you still make an income and some people do make careers out of it,” you point a fry at him as you make your point. 

 

Sam leans forward and takes the fry with his mouth, giving you a quick wink as he chuckles, “And can I ask why you wanted to be a criminal as a kid?”

 

“Robin Hood,” you state matter-of-factly, “I wanted to steal to give to people in need.” 

 

He can’t help but smile at you and the big heart you have, “Makes sense. I myself wanted to be a fireman.” 

 

“Hmm,” you sip your drink, “I could see that,” and you really can which is why you blush again. 

 

Sam reaches out and brushes his fingers across your cheek, “Yeah? Is that what this is about?” he teases.

 

You playfully swat his hand away with a smirk, but he grabs it and kisses it before letting it go. 

 

“So you wanted to be both a crime fighting teenage girl and a criminal?” Sam raises an eyebrow at you with a smirk, “Ambitious.”

 

You both laugh and you just shrug casually, “Well, no one would suspect the crime fighting teenage girl was also a thief, now would they?” 

 

He laughs, “Alright, you win with that thinking.” 

 

\---

 

****Anderson, Indiana** **

 

Sam’s car is an old model Ford pickup which is why it has a front bench seat. No car rental company has any vehicle that still has front bench seats so you both had to get used to not being able to be next to each other during the trip, as annoyingly sweet as that sounds. 

 

That’s what he thinks about when he looks over at you sleeping in the passenger seat, curled up best you can under his jacket. In his car, he’d be able to hold you against him, make you more comfortable. 

 

It’s late, few cars on the highway, when he feels himself almost doze off. Immediately, he shakes his head and starts looking for a place to stay for the night.  A bright neon ‘Motel’ sign lights up the sky a couple miles down the road.

 

“Hey baby, wake up,” Sam’s hushed voice breaks through your unconsciousness. That, paired with his hand smoothing over your hair, wakes you up in a sleepy daze, “I got us a room for the night, come on,” and he rubs your leg before putting his hand out to you. 

 

You take it and slowly get out of the car. Instantly you grab his forearm with your other hand and bury your face in his shoulder. Sam kisses your head as you walk into the room that’s in front of the car.  

 

The suitcases are already inside thanks to him. Once inside, you let him go and head into the bathroom to wash your face.  Exhaustion is still set in and you can’t wait to climb into a bed. 

 

As you walk out of the bathroom, you find Sam asleep. You can’t help but smile. He’s still fully clothed, lying on his stomach on top of the covers with his arms under the pillow, face turned towards you. 

 

Poor thing drove the whole time, you don’t blame him for being exhausted.  You walk over and manage to slip his boots off without waking him. With him on his stomach, you can’t really manage to get anything else off. 

 

You open the suitcases and immediately undress, sighing with relief when you take your bra off. Grabbing a tshirt from his, you put it on and slip under the sheets next to your boyfriend. 

 

You lean over him and run a hand slowly through his hair, kissing his hairline. With a light kiss to his cheek, you snuggle up next to him and close your eyes.  You were already asleep when Sam’s arm moves over you, pulling you close, him still asleep himself. 

 

When you wake up again, it’s because Sam, sans shirt and pants now, is crawling back onto the bed. You open your eyes and watch as he pulls the sheets back from your body and lays back down next to you, hand coming to rest on your cheek.

 

Sunlight is peeking through the curtains as his hand slides from your cheek, down your neck, across your shoulder and down your side until he slides his hand across your lower back and tucks it between your hip and the bed. As you snuggle into his bare chest, he’s pulling you close at the same time. His other arm becomes your pillow as both arms are wrapped around you. You bring your wrist to rest against his shoulder as you gently scratch his beard while pressing a kiss to his chest. 

 

Sam ducks his head and kisses your face, continuously pressing kisses to your skin as you lift your face to meet his. When his lips are on yours, he hugs you closer and leans into you more. You drape a leg over his thigh and with his body protectively wrapped around yours, he deeply kisses you.  

 

His lips stay on yours even as they move into a small grin at the sound of the small contented hum you make.  You feel his hand that’s on your arm softly caress your skin as he pulls away from the kiss slowly. Immediately he’s pressing a light kiss to the corner of your nose, on your cheek, and your scar. 

 

He shivers just slightly at the feel of your fingertips gliding up and down his back. 

 

“You always look good in my shirts,” Sam says softly against your neck. With his lips moving, the hair from his beard tickles your sensitive skin there and you can’t help but wiggle a bit at the sensation. 

 

“Careful,” he says low, “You might entice me to do it more,” he chuckles against your skin. 

 

“Sam, you better not,” you weakly warn, too conflicted with the wonderful feeling of his lips on your neck to properly convey your disagreement with possibly being tickled. 

 

“Why not? What would happen to me if I did?” His kisses move to under your ear and he feels you arch slightly up into him at the new spot. 

 

It takes you a second to answer because of how well he moves his mouth, “No kisses for 24 hours.”

 

A huff of warm air hits below your ear at his quick laugh, “24 hours is pretty specific.” 

 

“Any longer than that and I’m punishing myself at that point,” you manage to smirk. 

 

Sam lifts his face and looks down at you, “So you could avoid me for 24 hours no problem?” 

 

You look into his eyes for a few seconds. His eyebrows that are knitted in question not matching up with his small smirk, as he waits for your answer. 

 

You give a slight shake of your head, “No probably not,” you laugh before leaning up and kissing him to confirm your answer. 

 

He smiles into the kiss and for several seconds you believe the topic has passed. But then Sam’s arms quickly release you and he’s tickling your sides, hands under the shirt, as he sits up on his knees to give you room to squirm from his actions. 

 

Both of you are laughing, for different reasons. You manage to shift away from him but you move too far and just as you feel yourself about to fall off the edge of the bed, Sam laughs, “Whoa!”  and his large hand wraps around your forearm and pulls you back. You cover your head with your arms and fall against his torso as he continues to laugh and falls onto his side. 

 

He sees your body shaking from laughing as you continue to hide your face and he curls his body around you, hands touching your head as he curls in more to be able to kiss your hair. Then he straightens out and his hands grip you and slide you up to his face. 

 

Moving your arms, he sees your flushed face and that smile of yours from the laughing you’re doing. Still laughing himself, he attempts to kiss your face but ends up laughing against it instead. Bringing your hand up to cup his cheek, as you feel the vibrations against your own, you hold him still as you turn to face him. 

 

“I almost died!” you joke as you try to catch your breath. 

 

“Never would have let that happen,” he laughs as he manages to kiss you finally, though quick since you’re both out of breath. 

 

You’re still smiling when you hug him, and he rolls onto his back, pulling you on top of him. As you look down at him, he can’t resist reaching up and letting your hair run through his fingers before moving his hands to your hips. 

 

“You’re terrible,” you tease as you cross your arms on his chest and rest your chin on top of them. He chuckles causing you to bounce with his body and that just makes you laugh. 

 

“The worst,” he agrees teasingly as he runs a hand through your hair before running the back of his finger along your cheek. 

 

You lift your head and move up a bit so you can run your hand over his hair soothingly as you look down at him, “No,” you lean down and kiss his cupid’s bow. Sam slides his hand under your hair to rub the back of your neck, “you’re the best, not the worst,” and you softly kiss him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Road Trip pt. 2
> 
> A little, mild smut

****Joliet, Illinois** **

 

The next motel you stay at, you manage to get the very last room. It’s summer, so tourists are abundant in some towns you’re traveling through. 

 

As usual it’s late and you both bring your suitcases in. Sam shuts the door and turns the lock.  As you always do, you take your shirt off so you can take your bra off finally. Sam sits on the edge of the bed, next to where you stand, and takes his boots off.  He grabs them and as he walks to place them by the suitcase, just as you take your bra off, the door pops open and slowly starts opening. 

 

Sam hears you gasp as he looks towards the door at the sound of it opening. Immediately you grab your shirt on the bed and cover your chest as you step back to where you can’t be seen from outside. 

 

Sam knows he locked it so he walks over and grabs the doorknob, to stop it from opening any more, looking outside to see if anyone opened it from the outside. No one is around. 

 

Looking at the doorknob, he sees it’s still in the locked position. 

 

“Shit,” you hear him mutter. You watch as he shuts the door and opens it again easily. He looks at you, you having quickly slipped your shirt back on, “Lock’s broken.”

 

“It was the only room left,” you state what he already knows. 

 

“And it’s already pretty late,” he runs a hand down his face.  And it’s decided, you’ll stay put for the night regardless.

 

The dresser is nailed to the floor, but the small table isn’t. Sam shoves the small table and it’s two chairs in front of the door to keep it shut.  

 

“You think that’ll do?” You ask.

 

“No,” then he sits down in one of the chairs he has against the door, “That’s why I’m sleeping here tonight.”

 

“Sam,” you say incredulously.

 

“I’m not risking someone getting in with you here. I’ll be fine.”

 

His eyes stay on you as you walk over and sit on his lap, his arms around you instantly.

 

“Can’t talk you out of it, can I?” And you know the answer because you know Sam and how protective he is of you. 

 

“No,” he kisses your shoulder. 

 

“Why don’t you take a shower first then? I’ll be fine while you do.”

 

“I’ll take one in the morning just to be safe. You go on ahead.”

 

“Fine,” you give him a kiss, “But now you owe me one together.” 

 

Sam smiles and kisses you, “You know I’m good for it.”

 

You kiss him again before standing up from his lap and heading into the bathroom. Once you shower and brush your teeth, you walk back into the room. Sam only gets up to go brush his teeth. 

 

As he does that, you grab a pillow and pull the covers out from the end of the bed. Placing the pillow at the foot of the bed, you pull back the covers and get in. 

 

When Sam walks back out, he stops for a second when he sees you set up the wrong way. He stops by you and you look up at him when you hear him. 

 

“What are you doing?” He touches your cheek.

 

You give a little shrug, “The closest I can get to sleeping next to you.” 

 

And he notices how with you the wrong way, it gets you closer to the door that way. And he looks at you with the most warm smile. 

 

He leans down and kisses you, “So in love with you,” he whispers. Ever since he said that to you at his sister’s it’s become a second way for you both to say ‘I love you’ at times.

 

You smile at his words and you watch as he grabs a paperback book from his suitcase and sits down in the chair. 

 

“Take a blanket at least.”

 

“I’m okay.”

 

“Well, if you change your mind at all and want to come to bed, know that I won’t be mad that you left your post,” and you give a small smirk at your little tease at the end. 

 

“Understood Sergeant,” he grins.

 

You just smile before snuggling into the covers and closing your eyes. 

 

It’s morning when you stretch your body out, opening your eyes and find Sam sleeping, his arms crossed and his chin to his chest.  Just seeing his position makes you wince because you know he’ll be achy from it. 

 

The sheets get pulled back and you stand up making your way over to him. You run a hand slowly through his hair and squeeze his knee gently, “Sam,” you whisper. 

 

He slowly opens his eyes and has a momentary look of confusion before looking around and remembering. 

 

“It’s morning, so why don’t you go sleep in the bed for awhile?” 

 

He nods and rubs his face with both hands then stands up. He doesn’t even bothering undressing as he lays on his stomach next to your spot in the bed. 

 

You lay back down in your spot and pull the covers back more so they cover him. Slowly you comb your fingers through his hair and give the back of his head a little scratch, repeating the action again and again. His eyes stay closed but he gives a small groan of satisfaction at the feeling. 

 

“Thank you,” you whisper before kissing his forehead. As much as you wished you had him next to you last night, it says a lot that he’d rather make sure you stayed safe. 

 

With that, he opens his eyes and lifts his arm up, “C’mere,” he whispers. You scoot closer to him and he brings his arm down, hand smoothing over the side of your head, before gently pulling you forward as he leans in and kisses you. 

 

\---

 

****Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin** **

 

The next night, you find yourselves at a local drive-in movie theater. You already checked into a motel, but the room’s A/C is out so you both decided to go out to the movie where you can run the A/C in the car for a bit and enjoy the cool air before having to go back to the room. 

 

The only thing is that the movie isn’t holding your interest right now, Sam is.  This damn car with the center console makes it near impossible to do anything. 

 

It’s been a few nights since you two had sex last and you miss him in that way. 

 

He’s got his seat slid back a little so he can relax a bit. His elbow is propped up on the door, head propped up by his hand.  He looks as disinterested in the movie as you are. 

 

You turn the radio down, where the sounds of the movie are playing, and he lifts his head to look at you.  

 

“Do you want to go park somewhere more…secluded?” There’s families around and you don’t want to risk getting caught. 

 

He knows that look you have on right now and god if he doesn’t miss you too.  He straightens up and pulls out of the spot, instead parking in the back corner where no cars are close enough around to see anything. 

 

As soon as he parks the car, he’s sliding his seat back as far as he can and then grabbing your hips as you climb over the console to straddle him. 

 

You grasp his face and kiss him passionately as he slides his hands under your skirt and caresses your thighs.

 

“I miss you,” you breathlessly utter quickly, before kissing him again, and he knows the way you mean it.

 

You feel his hands slide over your ass and squeeze as he continues kissing you, your tongue finding his. 

 

Reaching down you unbuckle his belt and undo his jeans before pulling him out of the confines of the fabric. The feeling of your hand on him makes him grab the back of your hair and hold your face against his as he pulls away to moan at the feeling. 

 

He then manages to bunch your skirt up in one hand and shifts your panties over with the other enabling you to sink down on him. 

 

The feeling of it causes you to grip the side of his neck and press your forehead to his. He closes his eyes briefly before opening them again to look at you. As your hips move, Sam starts kissing you. 

 

When you’re both finished, you don’t move from him right away.  Instead, your hands are grasping his face again as you continue making out with him. Your thumbs stroke below his cheeks as his hands roam up and down your sides. 

 

It’s only when you feel the tingle from the burn of his beard that you pull away.  You ghost your thumb over his lips before giving him a chaste kiss. After that, you lift off of him, straightening your panties and moving back to the passenger seat. Sam tucks himself back into his jeans and fastens his belt. 

 

Both of you grateful to have had the A/C for that little encounter. 

 

The movie ends shortly after and Sam’s driving back to the motel.  As soon as you step inside the room, the wall of stagnant hot air hits you. 

 

“Oh my god,” you groan, “I’m getting ice and water,” you grab the ice bucket and some dollar bills. While you’re gone, Sam takes his shirt and boots off.  He heads into the bathroom and grabs his beard scissors, trimming it a little. 

 

You come back a few minutes later and immediately pull your dress and bra off.  Grabbing a plastic cup, you put some ice in it and then some water.  Nothing has tasted so good before as you feel beads of sweat start forming by your hairline and back of your neck.

 

You pour Sam a cup and walk into the bathroom just as he’s putting his scissors away. He turns to face you and takes the cup you’re offering, “Alright, so you look good in and out of my shirts,” before taking a sip of the ice cold water.

 

You blush with a shy smile and shake your head before getting more water for yourself then laying down on the bed, arms stretched out, “It’s so hot,” you whine.

 

Sam takes his jeans off and places them on his luggage.  You have your eyes closed, but you aren’t sleeping, just trying to imagine being in a cooler place. 

 

You open your eyes and move your arms when you feel the bed shift.  Sam is sitting on the edge, body turned towards you. 

 

“Just stay still,” he softly commands and before you can even ask he’s running an ice cube up your stomach. Although the cold feels good on your warm skin, the initial shock makes you jump slightly with a tiny gasp. 

 

The water left behind rolls down your sides, over your hips, and Sam wipes the trail with his hand as he moves to kneel over you.  He runs the ice cube over your breasts except now his tongue is licking up the water left behind. Your body responds even more when he gently blows on your moist skin after.  He continues teasing your body with the cold sensation of the ice cube followed by the warmth of his tongue until the ice cube is gone. 

 

Soon both of you are completely naked and he’s moving on top of you. 

 

The heat doesn’t seem insufferable anymore.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Road Trip pt. 3
> 
> Long chapter with smut <3

****Bagley, Minnesota** **

 

It’s raining pretty hard so you both decide to find a place for the night earlier than usual. The town you’re in is pretty run down but since it’s only for a night you figure why not. 

 

You pull into a small motel and Sam gets out from the passenger side, waiting in the rain for the few seconds it takes you to shut off the car and get out. You take his hand and walk into the small office. There’s no one behind the desk, but there’s a door behind it so you know there’s a room behind the wall. 

 

The door opening made a bell jingle so you just wait for someone to come. As you do, you wrap your arms around Sam’s torso, both of you wet from the rain, and he wipes some raindrops from your cheek before wrapping his other arm around you. He leans down a bit and kisses you a few times.

 

“Aw, newlyweds?” an elderly woman asks, as she enters the room from the door behind the desk. An elderly man follows her out. 

 

“No,” you answer with a shy smile. 

 

“So, just in love then?” the woman smiles sincerely.

 

“More than you know,” Sam responds causing you to look at him with a bit of awe at his answer. He looks at you and rubs your back before kissing you. 

 

You give his side a little squeeze as you let him go so you can both step up to the desk. You slip your hand under the back of his shirt and just slowly run it back and forth along his lower back as you both speak with the older owners. 

 

“How sweet!” She says at both of you after hearing Sam’s response, “I’m Evelyn and this is my husband, Hank.”

 

At that you introduce yourself and Sam.

 

“You’re our only guests at the moment, I hope that’s alright,” Hank says as he grabs your room key, “Small town, not too many visitors.”

 

“It’s no problem, sir. I actually run a motel myself back in small town Alaska, so I understand,” Sam offers. 

 

“Alaska?” Hank is surprised, “Well, I don’t think we’ve had anyone here from Alaska before. What brings you folks to our little town?”

 

“Just passing through actually. We left from Virginia a few days ago,” you take your hand out from Sam’s shirt. Sam instead wraps his arm around your waist and pulls you into his side more before kissing your head. 

 

“Well I don’t know your plans, but if you’d like any suggestions on things to do, let us know,” Evelyn smiles, “It’s not a big town but we still have a few gems worth boasting about.”

 

“That’s very kind of you, thank you,” you smile at her. 

 

“How long you been running your motel son?” Hank looks to Sam. 

 

Sam glances at you as he figures out in his head when he first took it over, “About six years now,” he looks back at the elderly man.

 

“You see a lot of strange people pass through,” he laughs and Sam laughs too. 

 

“Absolutely. Keeps it interesting,” Sam chuckles politely.

 

“Alright, well you kids go on and enjoy your night. We don’t want to keep you. We could talk forever,” Evelyn playfully slaps Hank, “If you need anything at all, just knock on this door,” motioning to the door they walked through. 

 

You both thank them again and head back out in the rain to the car. Sam again stands in the rain this time to hold open the passenger door for you as you hop in. He gets in the driver’s seat and drives the short distance through the lot until he finds your room number. 

 

Once you’re inside with the luggage, he takes your hand and lifts your arm up, twirling you once then wrapping his arms around you. With a blush and a smile, you smooth your hands up his chest and up his neck, thumbs smoothing over his beard covered jawline. 

 

You pull his face to yours and kiss him, sliding your arms around his neck. As you deepen it, you feel his hands slide over your ass and grab your thighs and in one quick motion, he lifts you up around his hips causing you to give a quick yelp and a giggle. 

 

He smiles, “I owe you a shower, right?” 

 

“Yes you do,” as you play with a few of his damp curls before looking at him and kissing the bumpy bridge of his nose.

 

He takes you into the bathroom, seating you on the counter in there. You watch as he closes the shower curtain then reaches behind it to turn the shower on.  You get down and unzip your jeans, wiggling out of them. 

 

Sam turns around just as you pull your shirt over your head and drop it on top of your jeans.  At the sight, he can’t help but slide his hand into your hair as you’re looking down as your shirt drops.  You feel the warmth of his palm on your cheek and you turn into it to look at him.  In one small step, he’s against you and tilting your face up a bit as he kisses you passionately.  

 

Instantly your hands slip under the hem of his shirt and grip his hips before slowly gliding up and down his sides.  He feels your tongue against his and the growl emitted from his throat is the result.

 

You grab the hem and start pulling it up; when it’s at his chest he pulls away to lift his arms and bend a bit allowing you to swiftly pull it up and off. As soon as it is, his lips are back on yours, your hands running up his arms. 

 

He slides his hands along your hips then up your back then he’s unclasping your bra and slowly guiding the straps over your shoulders and down your arms. You let him take it off completely and his hands slide up your sides, moving inward until your breasts sit in the crook of his thumbs. Gently he massages the undersides which makes you shiver. You grip his biceps as he starts pressing kisses along your jaw, his thumbs repeatedly brushing over your nipples. 

 

A small bite of your lip as his kisses move quickly down your neck, your chest, and he’s leaning down pushing your breasts up so he can move his mouth on them. 

His beard is still damp from the rain and his mouth is warm and the combination has you just about squirming. He feels you grip the back of his hair and glances up to see you watching him with flushed cheeks. He lowers slowly onto his knees as he continues his journey down your body. 

 

Slow, sensual kisses he places down your stomach as his hands smooth down the back of your thighs.  He loves the feeling of your hand continuously combing through his hair only for you to grip it when his mouth hits certain spots. 

 

His kisses start tracing along the edge of your panties and your breathing quickens even more.  Those big hands of his move up the outside of your thighs and you feel his fingertips curl to grip the edges of the fabric. Slower than you thought, he drags them down and presses more slow kisses behind them.  You manage to only twitch your hips towards him once which causes him to look up at you with a smirk before looking back at the part of you he’s focusing on. 

 

The panties get slid down your legs and then as his hand grabs your calf, he brushes his nose dangerously close to where you know he’s aiming to end up. 

 

The grip on your calf tightens a bit as he dips his head to start kissing up the inside of your thighs.  At that your hips move towards him again which makes him give a low chuckle.  He lifts your leg and drapes it casually over his shoulder, continuing the kisses. 

 

You’re able to reach back and grip some of the counter’s edge in anticipation.  As Sam’s hands reach behind you, each grabbing a cheek, you feel him almost hold you forward and then you feel his lips and tongue between your legs. 

 

The damp beard makes it all the more titillating.  Your hand grips his hair as you lean your head back, a moan filling the bathroom.  Every move he makes has you leaning harder on the counter. Thank god his hands are holding you because you’d be putty on the floor. 

 

The way he seems to pull you closer as his mouth moves over and over again is like he’s making sure he gets every bit of you. 

 

Your whole body is trembling and you let go of the counter to grip his shoulder. His hold on your ass tightens to keep you up.  Your body tightens in his hold as he works you right over the edge. His mouth doesn’t let up as you ride through the feeling and he’s leaving you almost gasping for air as your sounds fall momentarily silent at the intensity.  

 

When his mouth finally moves, he kisses inside your thighs again before slowly moving your leg off his shoulder. Standing back up, he can see how relaxed you are from your release that you need to grip his arms as they wrap around you. Cheeks still blushing, the satisfied grin you’re wearing is a proud accomplishment, as it is every single time he causes it.

 

You slide your arms around his neck, hugging him as you kiss his jaw, “God, Sam,” you quietly moan against his skin.  As you do, his arms tighten around you and he kisses your shoulder. 

 

“Love hearing the way you say my name like that,” and he kisses your shoulder again, then one to your neck. 

 

Holding his face steady by gently gripping his chin, you press a line of kisses into his beard, then you gently nip his earlobe before kissing the sensitive skin right behind it. One of his hands moves up your back to hold the back of your neck as you suck a mark in his skin.  His denim covered hips push against your bare ones and you stop to breathe against him since you’re still sensitive down there.

 

When you’re finished, you take a small step back and grab his belt, unbuckling it. As you do, you start kissing his throat slowly. Then you unzip his fly followed by you pushing his jeans down his hips. Quickly you bend down a bit to pull them all the way down, then stand back up making sure to glide your hand along his fabric covered arousal. 

 

You slide both hands up into the back of his hair and pull him into a kiss where he all but moans “That’s for you”.

 

An aroused hum comes from you before you slowly pull away from him, pressing a couple kisses to his lips before stepping back from him. His hand smooths across your hip as he doesn’t let go while you walk past him and pull the shower curtain back to get in. 

 

Sam sheds his underwear and is right behind you in getting in. As you hoped and expected, he has his hand cupping the back of your head as he has you pressed against the tiled wall.  You bring your leg around his hip which he instantly grips then you’re wrapping your hand around him, guiding him into you. 

 

You wrap an arm around his shoulders, then he lifts his leg to prop his foot on the edge of the tub, and you’re pressing your head back against his hand at the change of position.  You hold yourself up a bit to keep your head off the tile as he moves his hand to the wall and keeps his other holding your thigh as his hips repeatedly move against yours. 

 

At the end, his body leans into yours. He brings his foot off the edge and you lower your leg; he holds you close as you kiss his neck before deeply kissing him. 

 

When he looks at you, he has a smile of adoration on and he sweetly touches your face, “Look at you,” he breathes before gliding his hand down your wet body and bringing it to your rear, “Never saw anyone more beautiful,” he shares as he kisses you slow. 

 

Sam’s an incredible kisser and even his little moves in between, like when his lips may move just a hair off of yours, he sometimes just wants to nuzzle his nose with yours or brush his thumb under your lip before going right back to kissing you. 

 

When the kiss naturally ends, you just lean back against the wall, hands slowly moving along his chest and torso.  Sam has a hand gripping your hip as his other caresses your cheek. Both of you just lovingly watching and studying the other. 

 

Sam has a small smile on as you feel his thumb lightly on your bottom lip. 

 

“What?” you ask with a shy smile, his thumb smoothing across your lip when you do. 

 

“Your lips get a little swollen when I kiss you so much, but it just makes me want to keep kissing you,” and his eyes glance between yours and your lips. 

 

Subconsciously you lick your lips at that and you watch his expression grow concentrated briefly, “Shit,” he whispers to himself, inaudibly low, before his lips are back on yours, unable to stop himself.

 

Somehow you two manage to actually shower at some point. You’re running a soapy washcloth over his body as he gently works shampoo into your hair. 

 

As your hand runs over his flexed bicep, it just catches your eye how small your hand is compared to his muscle. 

 

His fingertips are massaging your scalp and you close your eyes.  After a minute, he kisses your nose and gives your ass a light tap, “Time to rinse.”

 

He switches spots with you. Sam starts lathering up his own hair as you lean your head back under the flow of water and start running your hands through your hair to get all the shampoo out. Sam’s eyes are drawn to your body. The way your chest is arched towards him and the soapy suds cascading over the curves of your breasts and down your body.  When you finish and bring your chin back down, you reach up and take over rubbing the shampoo in like he had done for you.  

 

After sufficiently lathering up his head, you bring your shampoo covered hands to his beard and start lathering it up.  You can’t help but giggle softly at the sight of his soapy beard. 

 

Sam’s finger runs down your nose as he chuckles at your reaction. 

 

“Okay, don’t open your mouth” and you laugh as you carefully lather up the hair between his nose and mouth by swiping your finger across it. He just looks at you with a smirk on his face and his eyebrow raised. 

 

“Done,” But then you squeal and scrunch up your face as he grabs your face and pulls you close, but he just kisses your forehead before rinsing his hair and beard. You wipe the soapy lather from your forehead and nose with amusement.

 

He shuts the water off and pulls the curtain back. You both step out and he grabs a towel, draping it over your shoulders as he kisses you. While he grabs a towel for himself, you start drying off.  He dries himself off, and rubs his hair with the towel a couple of times before wrapping it around his waist. Already with the towel wrapped around you, under your arms, you pick up both sets of clothing from the floor. 

 

Sam kisses your wet hair before giving you a proper kiss. Sharing a smile, you walk out before him and put the dirty clothes in the laundry bag you brought.  Sam pulls on a fresh pair of underwear, as do you. You also grab a tank top and pull it on.  

 

It’s still raining and still relatively early so Sam grabs his book while you head back into the bathroom. 

 

He lays down on the bed, head propped up, and starts reading.  You take your chipping toenail polish off in the bathroom then grab the nail polish from your bag and sit on the bed. 

 

Sam holds the top of the book with one hand and has it propped on his chest. You sit next to him, with the soles of your feet up against his rib cage. Knees pulled to your chest, you start painting the nails on one foot. As soon as you situated yourself next to him, his free hand was on your thigh closest to him, moving up to your knee then down to the edge of your panties, and back again.

 

“Are you even reading?” you glance at him with a smirk.

 

“80% of the time,” he confesses as you hear him turn a page. 

 

You finish the one foot, so you drape your leg across his torso. You paint the other and do the same with that leg. You lean forward hugging your thighs and his hand moves to under your tank top on your back.  

 

He dogged ears the page of the book and reaches over placing it on the side table, then he sits up, holding your legs and guides them into his lap as he does. You lean back on your arms and watch as he slides his arm under your knees, pulling them up a bit where he starts pressing sweet kisses to both and your shins. 

 

Just watching this man love you so much that he can’t even keep his mouth off your legs of all things is so unbelievably sweet and endearing.  

 

When you jerk a leg a bit at the tickling of his beard against your skin, his hand wraps around both of your ankles from underneath as he chuckles. 

 

He pulls your ankles in so he can kiss the top of your feet. Then he moves them back to hanging over the side of his lap and turns his attention to you. An arm snakes around your waist and pulls you sitting up so your face is close to his. 

 

“Hi,” he says softly, eyes glancing between your lips and your eyes. 

 

With a shy smile, you return his greeting then brush your lips slowly over his top lip before gliding your nose and mouth along his beard, kissing near his ear.  

 

He turns his face just enough to kiss your skin without moving too far from your lips at his ear.  Then his hand comes up and slowly pulls the fabric on your shoulder down, kissing along your collarbone.  Lips kiss his temple then you’re pulling back making him look at you. 

 

“I love you so much,” you tell him like you just need him to know that in this very moment even though you know he does.

 

Sam’s grin appears and he kisses your cheek followed by the corner of your mouth. He kisses your forehead then looks at you.

 

“I love you too,” he swipes a thumb across your chin, then under your lip, “Know that you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” 

 

Shyly, you look down at his chest briefly before looking back at him, your smile so warm that his heart beats faster.  You place a hand on his chest and kiss him. 

 

\---

 

Your hand reaches behind your head and braces against the headboard as your other hand grips his ass.  

 

Sam has your hips slightly tilted up with a hand on your lower back as he pushes into you repeatedly.  You bring your knees up a bit more at his hips and hook your feet behind his thighs.

  

Sam had woken up with your head between his legs. You had wanted to make him feel as good as he made you feel last night. As soon as you finished with him, he was on you and had you under him. The very few items of clothing between you both were hurriedly removed. With no other patrons at the motel, you both took full advantage of having the ability to be as loud as you wanted.  

 

Sam’s mouth stays on your skin as his stomach brushes yours with each movement. 

 

His soft encouragements paired with your moaning pleas increases the desire in both of you.  It’s not long before you both are gripping one another, climaxing almost together, and the movements of your hips slowly start decreasing as you both slowly come down from your pleasurable highs.  

 

His body lays on top of you, your knees still framing his hips.  A sheen of sweat covers both of you and he presses his face into your shoulder.  You cradle the back of his head, holding him to you, as you straighten your legs, one foot caressing his calf.  

 

Soft lips and a warm tongue start placing open mouth kisses along your shoulder and chest.  You snake an arm under his, bringing it up to grip his shoulder blade as you tenderly scratch the back of his head with your other. 

 

Turning your head, you kiss every inch of his face you can reach, then continue down his neck. 

 

When breathing evens back out for the both of you, Sam lifts his head to look down at you.  He places a lingering kiss between your brows, you reach up and cradle his cheeks as he does.  When he looks at you again, you run a thumb across the hair below his nose then run it across his lips, stopping only when he puckers his lips to kiss the pad of it quick.

 

You slide your arms around his neck and pull him down with a smile as you kiss him, then his nose, then his lips again.  As the kissing continues, you place a hand on his jaw to hold him, then you break from his lips to start working a hickey where his neck meets his shoulder.  

 

He groans with satisfaction at the feeling and just hangs his head with his eyes closed. You feel his exhales hit your neck and you shiver.

 

You leave a kiss on the mark and kiss down his jawline, lifting his face back up and kissing him. His hand slowly runs down your side, all the way to your thigh before he glides it back up again. 

 

Slowly he moves off of you and onto his side, his hand staying on your hip as you shift onto your side to face him. Pulling you against him, your bodies molding together. His leg slips between yours as you drape one over his. Your head rests on his bicep, his fingertips softly moving up and down your back. 

 

Both of you have a hand on the other’s face, caressing in some way.  Kisses are given between loving stares. 

 

Finally, you feel the weight of tiredness. Giving him a kiss, you then tuck your head between his shoulder that’s pressing into the bed, and his face.  The hair from his beard brushes against your ear.  Sam hugs you a bit closer and kisses your shoulder and neck a few times before settling in himself.  

 

“You make me so happy,” he hears you sleepily mumble against his skin. 

 

And he wants to just keep you here. He loves Maggie and he loves Moe, but you’re what truly changed him for the better first. You did that. You stole his whole heart.

 

“You make me happy too,” and he leans his mouth back towards your ear, whispering, “Every day, every hour, every minute.” 

 

And he feels your lips against his skin move into a small smile before placing a kiss.  

 

\---

 

Sam wakes first. He’s on his back now with your nude body draped on him a bit.  Your face is turned away from him as your head lays on his shoulder, one hand holding onto his bicep.  His arm surrounds you, gently gripping your thigh. Your other arm is across his chest, hand by his ear.  

 

First, he lifts his head up a bit to kiss your head.  Then he runs his free hand from your elbow up your forearm until his hand lays over yours by his face.  His hand picks up your smaller one and brings it to his mouth where he presses a couple light kisses to your palm.  He feels you shift a little against his arm, a warm exhale hitting his shoulder.  

 

Smiling to himself, he then presses kisses along your fingertips before changing his hold on your hand. With your knuckles now exposed, he kisses those.  Now he feels the tickle of your hair as it glides across his skin as you wake up and turn your head. You let go of his bicep and instead, lay your arm on his shoulder, your head on top of your arm.  

 

You just give a sleepy grin at Sam’s sweet actions, before you’re closing your eyes again. 

 

He rubs his thumb across your small knuckles. You shift your body to press your front against his side more, moving a thigh over his, when he hears a tiny whimper from you. 

 

“You okay?” 

 

“Mhm," you give an affirmative hum as you open your eyes to look at him, “Just my thighs may be a little sore,” you blush with a small smirk.

 

At the sight of his smirk you give a quiet laugh. 

 

“Oh yeah?” he mumbles against the inside of your wrist before kissing it.  And with a smirk, he kisses along the inside of your arm. Once he gets near your elbow, you put your hand on his cheek and lean up. 

 

Guiding his face to yours, you smile, “Yeah,” and you kiss him softly. 

 

You lay your head back down and snuggle close to him. The arm around your back comes up and he smooths back the hair at the side of your head before kissing your hairline.  Then he moves his hand to your ribcage, and slowly brushes his knuckles back and forth along the side of your breast. 

 

Closing your eyes, you stay relaxed against him, enjoying the moment.  With his other hand, he reaches down and gently massages your thigh. 

 

“Ohh,” you breathe out, “That feels good.”

 

Sam chuckles in response, then you both hear a couple quick knocks on the door.  Both of you look at it before looking at each other.  You move from Sam allowing him to get up. Sam quickly grabs a pair of sweatpants pulling them on and throws on a tshirt.  You pull the sheets up to make sure you’re covered and Sam glances at you.  He steps in front of the view of you and opens the door just enough so only he’s visible. 

 

“Mornin’ Sam. Hope I’m not intrudin’,” Hank says.

 

Sam gives a polite smile, “Mornin’ and no not at all. What can I do for you?”

 

“Evelyn and I were wondering if you two might want to have lunch with us down at the local diner?  Don’t know what your plans might be, but we’d love to have you.”

 

Truthfully, Sam wants to continue holding you, but he also likes Hank and Evelyn, knows you do too. And he’s got plenty of chances to hold you at another time. 

 

“We’d love to. Give us about an hour? That okay?” 

 

“Oh, great! Yeah, yeah, of course. You know where to find us when y’all are ready,” and Hank gives a nod before walking away. 

 

Sam closes the door and looks at you, “Good?” 

 

Your head propped up on your hand, you smile, “Yeah,” and you stand up walking over to him, “But probably a good idea we shower separately,” you suggest as Sam’s arms wrap around you. 

 

“Why’s that?” And you feel his hands roaming and you know how easily you’ll give in if you let him continue. 

 

You reach behind you and grab his hands pulling them off, “That’s why,” you laugh. With a kiss to his cheek, you let his hands go and head into the bathroom to get ready.

 

\---

 

They drove you both to the small local diner. It reminded you of home the way everyone knew each other; the waitresses greeting everyone by name.  

 

Each couple took one side of the booth, with the men sliding in first.  

 

You have on a navy, floral sundress that has thin straps. Sam’s hand has innocently touched your exposed shoulders and upper back at least a dozen times already. The man can’t get enough of you. 

 

The conversation starts with Hank and Evelyn and their love story.  

 

“Well, we’re originally from New Mexico. And I was sixteen at the time I met this old geezer,” Evelyn lovingly teases, “Was studying at the library.”

 

Hank smirks and chuckles. You find Sam’s hand under the table where he laces fingers with yours, both of you listening to her story. 

 

“So this boy comes and sits down next to me. I glanced at him, too involved in studying…”

 

“She’s always been the smarter one,” Hank interjects proudly. 

 

Evelyn playfully side eyes him with a smile, “And this boy keeps talking to me! Flirting or at least trying to,” and that gets a laugh out of all you, “Well, I’m so annoyed at this point but before I could tell him to leave me alone, over strolls my future husband to tell him off for me.”

 

When Evelyn sees the way you both look at Hank with approval, she puts her hand up, “Oh no, don’t boost his ego. I come to find out months after we started dating that he set that whole thing up! That annoying boy was his best friend!” 

 

Despite her faux annoyance, Evelyn laughs too and you see the way her and Hank look at each other; you can still see how in love they are. 

 

Hank gives her a peck on the lips, “We dated for about a year and then the war broke out.”

 

They stare at each other for just a beat longer than normal and you know, you know in that long stare that they’re commiserating together about a time in their life that was the hardest they’d ever been through but they did it. They made it through and back to each other. 

 

Subconsciously you squeeze Sam’s hand. You miss him glancing at you as you watch the loving elderly couple across the table.  In that moment between them breaking their stare and gathering their thoughts to continue, your boyfriend kisses your shoulder. When your attention turns to him, he presses a kiss to your forehead. 

 

“I told him I would wait for him,” she smiles fondly. 

 

“I stupidly tried to convince her to find someone else. Figured there was that chance I wouldn’t make it back. I didn’t want to be the cause of her broken heart.”

 

“I quickly knocked that silly thought from his head. Told him how I would be waiting for him no matter what so…so he better make it back to me,” and you see her eyes get watery as her voice has the tiniest waver to it. And now your eyes are watery too. 

 

“I can’t even begin to imagine how hard that had to be…for both of you,” you tell them.

 

Hank nods and looks at his wife, which puts a grin back on his face, then he’s looking back at you, “Yeah, it was.”

 

“You had to take it each day at a time. Some were harder than others,” she adds, “Even today, I still get a chill when the phone rings sometimes because for the briefest of seconds I’m back at my parent’s house thinking that’s it, that’s the phone call telling me…” but she stops talking. She gives a small shake of her head and waves her hand as if to dismiss the thought, and her teary eyes speak volumes. 

 

You have to wipe a couple of your own tears quickly before they fall. Sam gives a small grin at your bleeding heart and leans over, giving the side of your head a kiss before rubbing your back.

 

Once she collects herself, and dabs a napkin at her eyes, she gives a quick laugh, “Gosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to get you going too dear,” and she reaches for your hand giving it a squeeze, “Let’s change the topic. How did you two meet?” 

 

The waitress brings over the food you all ordered earlier and once everyone is settled, Evelyn looks to you and Sam for the story. 

 

Sam runs a hand over his mouth, “Well, we didn’t get together until a few years after we first met,” and he glances at you with a shy grin.

 

You can feel your cheeks getting warm, “Sam moved to town about six years ago. We first met at this local bar. The town mechanic, Bill, walked in with Sam in tow.”

 

Sam swallows his bite of his sandwich, “He helped me with my piece of junk car,” as he speaks, he dips one of his fries in ketchup and hands it to you; he knows you love them and that your sandwich only came with coleslaw. You laugh and take it from a grinning Sam who continues, “Told me he’d introduce me to people in town so he brought me there.”

 

“I actually ended up convincing Sam to be my partner in pool to play against Bill and my friend I had came with,” you laugh a bit at the memory. 

 

Sam smiles, but quietly adds, “I didn’t need much convincing,” and he looks at you.  You can’t help the smile that shows up to pair with your blushing cheeks. Sam looks back at the couple, while stealing glances of you in between, “She had this yellow top on and that smile that lights up a room. It was like the epitome of sunshine,” he chuckles and smiles at the memory, “I wasn’t in a great place at that point in my life and seeing her…she made me feel hopeful again. Happy.”

 

In awe, you listen to him say those last bits. He never told you that before. He looks at you lovingly and quickly brushes his thumb across your cheek. 

 

Evelyn smiles at the interactions between you and Sam, “Sounds like you were quite smitten, Sam. But you said you didn’t start dating until years after?” she asks in disbelief. 

 

You tuck some hair behind your ear, “I was too shy,” you blush with a shy laugh, “He’s just so handsome,” you gush and you all laugh with Sam blushing a bit.  Sam snakes his arm around you, hand gripping the outside of your thigh and pulling you closer. He presses a kiss to your temple, “Honestly, I figured she had someone already. Bill had mentioned she had a lot going on, I just assumed that’s what he meant. But when I finally found out she was single, I just…figured she could do better.”

 

Evelyn quietly scoffs at that as you shake your head in disagreement with his last words. You grasp his chin tenderly and kiss his cheek. 

 

“A few years later, he ended up hiring my little sister to help out at the motel. We became closer friends from that until about a year ago when we just,” you and Sam share a look, “became more than that.”

 

“Well I’m so glad you two finally found each other because you are such a lovely couple. Like Hank mentioned, we don’t get many visitors so it’s refreshing to meet a pair like you,” Evelyn gushes.

 

Sam and you thank her for her kind words.  The conversation continues back between their life and your life and then Hank sharing some war stories. Coffee and dessert were ordered and the whole meal ended up being a few hours; you all honestly enjoying the conversation and the company.  

 

When you get back to the motel, Hank parks by the office. Hugs are exchanged before the two of them enter the office. 

 

Sam turns to you, “Let’s go you” and wraps his arms around you prompting you to wrap your arms around his neck. He lifts you up in a hug and starts walking causing you to giggle. 

 

You kiss his cheek, “I can’t believe you remember what I was wearing at the bar.” 

 

Sam stops and puts you down, but doesn’t let you go, “You’re something special, that’s why.” 

 

You look at him for a beat before kissing him softly. When you pull away, you run your hands down his chest, “Dark green flannel and the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen,” you smirk.  That’s what he was wearing that night. 

 

Sam has the cutest grin on before he leans in kissing you.  With having decided already to stay one more night, he pulls away and smooths both hands over your hair as you look up at him, “Feel like driving around for a bit?”

 

You nod so he takes your hand and walks across the parking lot to the car. 

 

For the next couple of hours, Sam drives around with you, just exploring the town and surrounding ones. It’s sunset when you spot signs for a lake. 

 

Sam follows the signs and drives along the path until you see this gigantic lake in front of you.  The sky isn’t blocked by giant trees, instead they line the edges. Spread out in front of you are beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and pink as the sun sets for the day.  

 

“Sam,” you say in wonderment, “Look at this. It’s unbelievable.”

 

He smiles at the look of pure happiness on your face before admiring the gorgeous sky, with the most gorgeous woman. 

 

“Come on,” you say as you get out of the now parked car and walk to the front, leaning back on the hood.  He shut the engine off, but kept the radio on; just as he opens his door, he hears the beginning of the next song:

 

_I met you in the dark, you lit me up_

_You made me feel as though I was enough_

 

And as the man sings those words, he looks through the windshield at you. And then he had to chuckle because you looked over your shoulder at him with that smile and motioned for him to join you just as lyrics seemed to narrate the moment:

 

_Then you smiled over your shoulder_

_For a minute, I was stone-cold sober_

 

He turns the music up and doesn’t take his eyes off of you as he gets out making his way to you with his uneven gait.  Your eyes don’t leave his until he puts his hand out to you and you look at it before looking back at him. 

 

_I knew I loved you then_

_But you’d never know_

 

You take his hand and he gently pulls you over to him. He slides his arm around your waist and holds your joined hands almost against his chest.  Blushing, you smooth your hand across his upper back until your arm is around his neck.

 

_But I wanna stay with you until we’re grey and old_

_Just say you won’t let go_

_Just say you won’t let go_

 

As you both slow dance to the music, you kiss him. He pulls you even closer as he kisses you back. 

 

_I’ll wake you up with some breakfast in bed_

_I’ll bring you coffee with a kiss on your head_

 

Then he steps back, letting your waist go and holding your hand up, he gently moves your wrist around, twirling you once causing you to giggle.

 

_I wanna dance with you right now_

_Oh, and you look as beautiful as ever_

 

When he pulls you back to him, he grabs your waist and dips you, laughing as you start to. You lean your head back as he kisses your throat and smiles against your neck.

 

_I’m so in love with you_

_And I hope you know_

_Darling your love is more than worth its weight in gold_

 

Sam pulls you back upright, and resumes his hold on you. His thumb rubs your hand that he’s holding. Your arm rests on his shoulder as you slide your hand into his hair, lovingly scratching the back of his head as he looks at you with that adorable grin of his. 

 

_I wanna live with you_

_Even when we’re ghosts_

_‘Cause you were always there for me when I needed you most_

 

You feel him tighten his hold on you at those lyrics and you feel the emotion in your chest. Everything that happened in Virginia and everything that goes on at home, you both lean on one another, neither ever letting the other one fall.

 

_I’m gonna love you till_

_My lungs give out_

 

Gently, you pull his face to yours, kissing him deeply. The dancing gets abandoned as you both fully embrace each other.  When you both slowly pull away, he lets your hip go to run his hand over your hair before sweetly running his hand down the side of your face. 

 

A trace of a smile on both of you, Sam strokes your skin tenderly, “I want to marry you.”

 

Tears well up in your eyes, but your smile only starts to grow. 

 

“I’m gonna ask you the right way in time, I promise. But I have to just at least tell you…because you’re who I belong with. Everything that’s happened in my life lead me to that town, to you. And I’d do it all over again knowing that.”

 

A couple tears roll down your cheeks but he wipes them away before you get the chance too. 

 

The heartache of his childhood and the devastating accident he went through, he just told you he would go through all of that a second time knowing he’d end up finding you in the end.  How, just honestly how, did you find him?

 

You hug him and run your hand down the back of his head. He buries his nose in your hair as he hugs you back. When you pull back, you kiss him. 

 

“I love you so much, but nothing I ever do or ever say will truly show you just exactly how much. And whenever you do ask, whether it be tomorrow or ten years from now, know that I’ll say yes, Sam. Because no man has ever made me feel as safe, as important, or as loved as you do.”

 

He gently cradles your face and kisses you so good. You put your whole body into it and grasp the front of his shirt. When you both pull away, foreheads touching, you run your fingers down his bearded jaw then lightly along the bottom of his lower lip, “So in love with you,” you whisper close to him. 

 

“So in love with you,” Sam repeats with a smile before kissing you again. 

 

The sun fully sets and you both stay to witness it, enjoying the star filled night sky as Sam has his arms wrapped around you. He sneaks kisses to the back of your neck and your hair as you rub his arms and his hands. 

 

It’s not long after that the car is pulling back into the spot in front of the motel room. As soon as you’re both inside, lips are on skin and hands are on fabric. Clothes are carelessly tossed to the side and breathy gasps from just passionate kisses start filling the room.

 

Sam settles on the edge of the bed, your legs around his waist, bodies moving together perfectly.  Sounds of love now fill the air as hands desperately grip at flexed muscles and soft skin. 

 

It’s not long until Sam feels your body tighten, arm hugging his head, as your moans fill his ear like a good song.  He isn’t far behind as his deep sounds bury into your neck, beard tickling the base of your throat. 

 

Sweat shimmers on your bodies. Feeling his body tighten underneath yours brings its own kind of pleasure. Sam’s warm breath hits your shoulder as you hold his head against you. Your own exhales hit the back of his neck as you keep your face turned towards him.

 

He feels you reach and cup his cheeks so he sits back up a bit to look at you. As you kiss him, he slides his fingers into your hair, trailing them down your locks. He ends at your collarbone, hand continuing down to cup your breast momentarily as you deepen the kiss. 

 

He grips the sides of your waist as you pull back.  Dark brown eyes stay on your face as you slowly run your hand over his hairline and into his mess of curly, wavy hair a few times.  Your other arm is resting on his shoulder. 

 

Sam closes his eyes for the short time it takes you to kiss his forehead.  You tenderly grasp the side of his neck, thumb stroking his earlobe, as he smooths his hand up your back until he holds the back of your neck. He pulls you forward, lips on yours. 

 

Goosebumps form along your skin as he uses his other hand to caress up and down your thigh that’s at his hip.  His pectoral flexes under your palm as his lips vacate yours for the briefest of moments before they’re on the corner of your lips, followed by your jaw. 

 

Then he’s kissing you again and you all but hug his neck in response. As your lips instantly find their familiar rhythm, Sam presses his hand against your back and grips your thigh, standing up with you still wrapped around him. Placing a knee on the bed he lays you down first, the kiss never faltering, as he lays his body on yours. 

 

You pause, your parted lips resting against his as you both find needed air.  He places several light kisses to the bridge of your nose, then one between your eyes. He slowly moves off of you, rolling to his side as he opens his arms for your following body. 

 

Snuggling into the crook of his arm, his hand rests on your bare hip, thumb constantly stroking. 

 

Both of you settle into each other’s embrace as sleep takes hold.

 

In the morning, it’s Sam who’s up first. He’s got his hand on your knee, you having separated from him during the night. You’re on your side, in a relaxed fetal position, facing him. Your hand is resting on one side of his chest.  He turns his head to see your own hand tucked under your cheek as you sleep so peacefully. God, you look so cute. 

 

Slowly he rolls onto his side, careful to grab your hand so it doesn’t flop off. As he faces you, he gently pulls your arm to rest around his neck, then lightly slides his hand under the sheet at your waist, moving it to splay his fingers against your back. 

 

He dips his head to start his kisses at the base of your throat. That’s where he stays for a minute, just placing small, warm kisses along your skin. When he feels the hand at his neck move, fingers lightly gripping, and hears your soft, quiet hum as it vibrates against his lips, his little grin presses against your neck.

 

Eyes still closed, sleep not fully gone, your brain can still register what’s happening. A hint of a smirk appears at your sweet lips. Sam starts moving his kisses up along your throat and you slowly lean your head back accordingly.

 

When his mouth finally finds yours, you give another little satisfied hum before cupping his cheek.  As soon as he pulls away, you sleepily open your eyes to say good morning before you’re closing them again, nuzzling your face against his. 

 

He kisses your cheek, whispering the same sentiment against your ear. The sheets partially covering your bodies gets pulled away slowly, the fabric just barely tickling your thigh as it’s pulled down. Then it’s Sam’s warm hand that’s sensually skimming down the side of your nude body; you feel his cheek turn into your palm so you know he’s watching his own actions.

 

A slight shiver from you as goosebumps appear, “What are you doing?” it comes out a bit mumbled as your face is against his skin, but you ask it sweetly.

 

His lips are half against your palm, so when he answers you, their movement on your sensitive skin there only heightens his response.

 

“Touching you,” Sam answers. 

 

And he says it so casual and sweet that you feel your heart clench.  

 

His hand slides along your outer thigh, then to the back of it. You feel as his hand starts moving over your rear as he starts moving it back up.

 

His face turns back towards yours now as his hand moves, “You’re beautiful,” he murmurs against your cheek, grinning as it moves due to your smile at his words.

 

As you move your head back, he lifts his own so you can turn to face him. 

 

“Promise me something?” you ask him, your thumb tracing the corner of his mouth.  

 

“Anything.”

 

“Promise me we’ll always make time for this. Just you and me laying in bed, holding each other,” you kiss him, “kissing each other.”

 

Sam smiles as he kisses you, “I promise,” then he kisses you again, slower this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur


End file.
